


Gods Of Time

by GreyWolfGhost



Category: Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: Abnormal culture (Sanctuary), Family, Gen, Immortality, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-06-30 22:48:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 47,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15761295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyWolfGhost/pseuds/GreyWolfGhost
Summary: A seemingly normal kid, kidnapped by the CABAL and experimented on. When he manages to escape, he finds himself on the run as the CABAL closes. He is saved by Ashley and brought to the Sanctuary. Helen, however, suspects that he is not as normal as he appears. Why does the CABAL want him so badly? Who is he? And what is his connection to one of the most feared races of abnormals to ever walk the earth?This is an ongoing series.





	1. Chapter 1

 

                                                                 

Feeling returned to my fingers, my first clue that my body was taking control. The fog that had occupied my mind for an indeterminate amount of time faded. I had lost track of the hours, the days. However long I had been sitting here, restrained and apparently drugged, was beyond me. I couldn't remember anything.

Whatever I had been drugged with had been effective. It had been working in my system, but I had been so compliant that my dosage must have been lessened.

Once I had regained control of my movement I was able to remove the restraints. They were easy enough, a simple clip that held both of my wrists to the armrest. I rubbed my wrists carefully as the cuts on them healed quickly.

I looked around, taking in my situation. I was in what looked like a mix between a hospital room and a steel prison cell. Aside from the chair I had been strapped too, there was a bed and a toilet. I knew I had not used either of those, though my memory was still hazy. All I could remember distinctly was the chair, not where I had been before this room or how long I had been in it.

My mind was remembering flashes, nothing concrete. The drug was still in my system; it wouldn't be long before my rapid healing eradicated it from my body, but it was still taking longer then I liked.

Now that I had control, I knew I had to get out of the room. I looked up at the ceiling, looking for surveillance cameras. Surprisingly, I saw none, there was nothing of the sort on the ceiling, there was, however, something that made me grin…a vent, one which was just large enough for my small frame to fit through.

Problem was, I didn't see any of my belongings, I was naked from the waist up wearing a pair of loose-fitting sweatpants, my shirt and jeans were gone, wherever my shirt was I assumed my sneakers and jacket was with it. I would not leave without my bag. It was not going to happen.

If my returning memory was correct, vents led all over creation in a building and this one shouldn't be an exception. If I had any hope of finding my stuff, I might have an easier time traveling through the vent, peeking into rooms and looking for my stuff.

I knew as far as an escape was concerned it wouldn't happen in a vent. But my captors might not realize that. I climbed on top of the chair and pushed the cover to the side. I pulled myself into the vent. I was right in my calculations; it was just big enough for me, and even though I'm pretty skinny I had to really squirm to squeeze my body inside. Anyone bigger than me wouldn't get far: they'd be lucky to get their upper body up here. And if they did, they'd probably get stuck.

                                                                        

Footsteps coming down the hall caught my attention, at least three sets, one of those sets a woman with heels. I was careful to make as little noise as possible as I crawled to a part of the vent that bent around a corner. I slowed my breathing and made myself virtually invisible. I heard the door below me open and the three pairs of footsteps entered.

"Damn it!" the woman shouted, "How the hell did he escape? You assured me that the sedative you gave him would immobilize him!"

"I'm sorry ma'am. We underestimated his healing ability. I was just in here, he was completely comatose," a male voice replied. He sounded familiar, but at the same time didn't.

"Why wasn't he restrained better?!"

"Again we underestimated his body's ability; we were under the impression that simple restraints would be more than sufficient! Who knew how he'd react once he became more lucid and aware of what was going on!"

"Could he really get far in that vent?!" the woman shouted again. There was a long pause. "Find that boy! I don't care what you have to do! Find him or you will be picking a plot in the cemetery. It is essential that he is brought back under our control! I will not lose him; he belongs to us!"

Her heels clicked on the tile floor as she walked out of the room. My mind began turning. Why was I so valuable to them? What did they need me for…and who the hell were they to act like I was their property?

I expected the other two to leave as well, but I was surprised to hear shifting below the opening as one of them climbed onto the chair and looked into the vent.

"Do you see anything?"

"If he came up here, he's deep in. Luckily this particular vent only goes to the lab and back. He'll hit a dead-end in about thirty-yards and either find himself in the lab or come back this way."

"What if he's just hiding?"

Damn it all, I thought.

"He won't be hiding long. The heat is going to kick in; he'll have to move one way or the other. It's going to get very hot up here, even his healing ability won't protect him from the burns. He'll survive them and heal from them, sure, but they will hurt like hell."

"I'd feel better if we did a sweep, that way we can at least tell Ms. Whitcomb that we did all we could. And if we find the little freak even better! Go get the camera."

"You go," the guy with his head in the vent retorted, "I really don't think he's going to stay up here, he's too smart for that. Kids are smart and resourceful, especially when trapped, and this one's had a lot of practice at it."

The second pair of footsteps left and I prayed my calculation on how many there were was right. As quietly and quickly as possible I scooted towards the vent's opening. The guy was correct, the heat had kicked on; it was searing my bare back as well as my feet. I could see the back of the guy's head as he surveyed the other side of the vent.

My instinct to kill was overwhelming. My life was in danger, my freedom was in jeopardy, and therefore my mind was encouraging my killer instinct. But I was able to ignore it, to fight it.

Instead, I inched closer, brought my knees up to my chest and before he knew what was happening, my feet connected with his head. He was unconscious before he hit the floor.

I dropped to the tile and reached down to check his pockets, searching for a clue, anything. His ID badge was clipped to his lab coat and in his pocket were his keys…and his key card, bingo!

I took those and got his wallet. Dr. Foley wasn't a millionaire, but he did have about sixty bucks on him and his credit cards, including a bank card with his pin number scribbled on the card itself. Idiot.

A photo in the wallet caught my attention; he had pictures of his family in here, for cryin' out loud. He had kids, my age! How could a father do this? Even if it was his job, how could he kidnap a kid from the streets, lock him up, drug him, and experiment on him and in the same day go home and hug his own kids?

I knew everyone has to make a living, but this was wrong. I wondered how many other kids they had locked up here. But mainly I wondered, why me? Did they really know about me beforehand? Or had they gotten lucky, nabbed me thinking I was just another street kid, and then discovered I was a little bit more than your average twelve-year-old? It was so frustrating that I couldn't remember getting grabbed.

I remember arriving in New City, sort of. I know I took the ferry and it was warm, so warm that I would've been okay sleeping outside. I don't actually remember sleeping, so that must've been when they got me, while I was looking for a place to crash.

I resisted the urge to kick Dr. Foley. I'd clean him out, that would be my revenge. I'm not very strong, but I was able to drag Dr. Foley over to the chair. After sitting him up, I cuffed both his hands into the same cuff, making it tough for him to get out of the restraints if he woke up, plus he was on the floor, so it would be even more difficult. I shoved his ID, cards, keys, and cash into my pockets and headed to the door.

I held my breath, praying that the door would open. When it didn't, I nearly had a panic attack. Then I remembered the key card. It beeped as the door clicked open, revealing a long hospital like a corridor.

I've got a pretty good sense of direction and my gut was telling me to go left. My backpack was priority number one, a way out was second, and if I managed to find more clothes on the way then hallelujah.

I hesitated for a brief second wondering if I should've grabbed the Docs lab coat and sneakers before locking him to the chair, but it was too late now.

My biggest concern as I snuck down the hallway was finding a place to hide if anyone came by, but my choices were limited. Luckily the hall remained deserted and, walking as quietly as I was, I would hear any footsteps coming my way.

A strong smell wafted past my nose and made my stomach erupt with growls…it was pizza. I didn't know how long it had been since I had last eaten, hours, days, bloody hell was I hungry. I changed my priority list, food first. I followed the scent and snuck around a corner. A security guard was at his desk, snoring. In front of him sat a large cheese pizza, only a couple slices missing.

My mouth watered; I was so hungry. I couldn't stop my body as it walked towards the pizza. I grabbed five slices, stacked them on top of each other, and bolted.

Down the hall, I found an unlocked closet. I was careful not to eat too fast, I didn't know how long it had been since my stomach had food in it, and I didn't need to be sick during an escape attempt. It wasn't easy to eat so slowly, one bite of the pizza made me want to stuff my face. However, I was good and careful, but even so, it was all gone before I knew it.

I didn't even have time to sit and digest, as an alarm went off, echoing throughout the whole building. I opened the door slightly and saw the herds racing by. Apparently, Dr. Foley had been discovered, and I wondered how long until I was discovered too.

Quietly I left the room as the group of soldiers headed down the hall. My time to get out of here just got shorter and I knew I had to act quickly. I left my keen sense of direction and just ran the opposite way, praying that I would get lucky and be going towards the right place. Every time I heard footsteps on the tile my heart skipped a beat, wondering if I was about to be caught.

I took a corner to fast and wiped out onto the floor. I hit it hard and felt my ankle snap. I had to shove my fist in my mouth to keep from screaming in pain. It wouldn't take long for the injury to heal, but that was time I didn't have. I pulled myself into a sitting position and rolled up my pant leg. My ankle was turning a deep purple and was definitely broken.

I took a deep breath, counted to three, and set it back into place, once again I had to hold my breath to keep from screaming, but like I had counted on, my rapid healing kicked in faster with everything set and I felt my ankle heal within seconds.

However, my little detour was not unnoticed as my luck ran out. I heard footsteps coming from behind me, quickly.

"Bloody hell," I muttered taking off again down the hall. I didn't get very far however as I ran into something solid.

"Gotcha!" the something sneered, holding me tight, reeking of alcohol and B.O. "Hold fire, I got the freak!" he shouted tightening his grip on my arm. He whipped me around and held his big hairy arm tight against my throat, cutting off needed air supplies and assuring that I couldn't get away.

"Lemme go!" I shouted, muffled, trying to wiggle free, even though I knew it was useless. The thing that made my heart sink even more than the defeat was the room that lay to my left. It was another lab of some sort, but sitting on the table was my backpack. Damnit! I thought.

"Knock it off, Freak!" my captor growled shaking me a bit, "Or I will put a bullet through your head; let's see how long it takes for you to heal from that!" The rest of the troops had joined us by this point and were all grinning and laughing and congratulating him.

The next sound I heard made my blood run cold even though I wasn't sure why my memory telling me nothing. But for some reason, my body reacted to the sound of a woman's heels clicking on the floor.

She came around the corner a pleased smile on her face.

                                                                  

"Excellent work," she said to the guy, before looking me straight in the eye, "What were you thinking, Travis, that you could just walk out of here all by yourself? It isn't safe for little boys to be out this late. You are much safer here." I stared at her for a second. They know my name, at least my current name…how? I hadn't told anyone my name, real or otherwise and I certainly didn't have any of my names written down somewhere for them to find. "You are far too valuable to let go. You belong to the Cabal. You have always belonged to the Cabal."

"What the bloody hell is a Cabal!?" I shouted.

"That is not your concern, think of it as your new home…permanently." She smiled. "Put him in a level four cell, extra restraints and double his dosage. I also want round the clock guards, at least two posted inside the cell at all times. No one leaves or enters that room unless I give the order."

With that ringing command, she left, her heels clicking on the floor sending another chill up my back, though that could have been from my body going numb from lack of oxygen. Most of the soldiers turned and left, save for the one holding me and another very large wrestler-size guy who had a goodly sized gun pointed at my heart.

As we started walking, I knew I had to be quick and efficient. I could feel the guys sidearm in his holster; he hadn't used it to capture me and had left it carelessly on his belt. I hoped it was not only loaded, but the safety wasn't on.

My heart picked up speed as we neared a lift, I would have only one shot at this I had to make it good. The second soldier hit the down button on the lift and I could hear it coming our way.

5…4…3…2…1…

The doors opened and I made my move. I took the guys sidearm and in the same quick moment fired two shots, the first to his partner's back of the head and the second was to the man…He had let me go when the first shot sounded, and I took that moment to shoot him right in the heart.

His partner fell into the now open elevator, and as the first guy started to go down, I leaned over so he also fell in.

I was shaking and I felt sick…I had killed before, being as old as I am it's impossible to avoid the whole kill or be killed thing. But it doesn't mean I'm comfortable with murder; even during wartime, I wasn't comfortable with killing for my own survival.

I felt my stomach turn and I threw up everything that had been on my stomach as the blood pooled around the two soldiers. Tears stung my eyes as I wiped my mouth. I still felt sick, but I had to get out of here. I had just killed two of their own; valuable or not, there were plenty of ways to punish a murderer, even one who will heal from most injuries quickly.

I reached into the elevator and hit the lowest number I could, apparently, this building went down fifteen floors…well, these guys were heading there.

Once they were on their way I bolted back down the hall to the room where I had seen my backpack. This was a blessing…finding my bag…that is and I wouldn't ignore that blessing.

Not only did I find my bag, but my sneakers, jeans, and tee-shirt were sitting next to it, with tags on them and my name along with the letters Abn Imm S vm. I didn't know what those letters meant and I wasn't going to stop and find out. I had my belongings, so I was out of here.

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He was being chased and had been for a good fifteen minutes or so, no matter which alleyway he darted down, which fence he scaled, he could hear the pounding footsteps right behind him. A shot rang out through the night and he felt a rush of air zing past his ear, they were shooting at him. It wasn't like he hadn't been shot at before, and it certainly wouldn't be the first time he'd been shot, but that didn't make him more anxious to be hit.

Another sound filled the night, a motorcycle, Yamaha, maybe a Kawasaki, he'd bet his, well, his life on it. He picked up speed, there had to be someplace he could lose his pursuers, he just had to use his instincts, he was old enough to survive, and this would be no different. He slid to a dead stop as he faced a dilemma: left would lead him towards the motorcycle, going right, towards another chain-link fence with electrified wire at the top.

The motorcycle was getting closer. So were the footsteps, one bike, at least ten sets of feet. He didn't like those odds at all—fence it was. Taking a deep breath he backed up a few steps and took a running leap at the fence, and, grasping the links tight, he began to scale it quickly. He was nearly at the top and prepared himself for the coming shock; he took a deep breath and reached out for the wire. He heard the shot first, then a split second later felt the hot metal enter his back; it must have gone right through his backpack. He felt it exit through his chest and instinctively grasped at the wound and lost his grip on the fence as he plummeted towards the wet pavement below.

He heard the motorcycle skid to a stop nearby, just as the rain began to come down in earnest. He felt his blood washing across the dirty alleyway towards a drain…an open drain just large enough for his small frame to fit through. If he could drag himself over to the opening, he'd be safe. None of his pursuers would follow him; they'd assume he was dead.

He was so close, he just had to stay awake long enough…a few more feet. He heard the click of a gun being cocked into place and recognized the sound as right above his head. Crap, he thought. He closed his eyes and waited for the shot and death.

The latter didn't come, he did hear a shot, but the shot took out the handler of the gun aimed at his head. He heard the gunman hit the pavement near him and tried to breathe a sigh of relief, but instead his body erupted in pain, beginning to feel life start to leave his body.


	2. Chapter 2

Ashley kicked the gun away from the dead man's hand. This was the last of the nine decked-out commandos that had been chasing this kid, the only one who had kept up the pursuit, the only one who had fired a shot at him, and the only one Ashley didn't have to think twice before shooting down.

She reached down and put two fingers at the nape of the boy's neck, feeling that his pulse was weak and getting weaker.

"Hang on kid," she whispered. She carefully lifted him up; he was surprisingly light as she carried him to the waiting motorcycle.

It was a short ride from where she had found the kid at the edge of Old City to the Sanctuary, but by the time she crossed the gate, the kid was barely breathing and as her mother along with the Big Guy rushed the kid to the medi-lab, she had a feeling he wouldn't make it.

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Ashley was making a sandwich, though she really wasn't that hungry; when her mother came into the kitchen a look of distress on her face.

"Is he okay?" she asked. Helen took a deep breath and shook her head.

"We did all we could, but he died about ten minutes ago." She pulled up a chair opposite her daughter and sat down. "He couldn't have been more than thirteen. How did you find him?"

"I was following a lead, heard that a large group of heavily armed commandos was hiking around down near the edge of Old City. Rumor was they were Cabal. I wanted to know what they were up to and if we needed to be concerned. One must have split from the group and was chasing him and shooting off rounds, shooting to kill. He managed to nail him as he tried to scale an electric fence. I took care of him like the other nine just as he was about to shoot the kid in the head, but I guess I didn't make it in time for him," Ashley finished. "I don't even know why they were after him. He's only a kid, and it's not like he could fight back." She reached under the table and pulled out a well-worn backpack. "There's no weapons, no gold bars, nothing in here that would interest an adult, just normal kid stuff." She paused. "Is he…was he human?"

"As far as I can tell, yes." Ashley reached into the backpack and began pulling out the contents. "Anything that can tell us his identity?"

"Nothing, like I said, just normal kid's stuff." She paused pulling out a tee-shirt and a pair of jeans rolled up together and shoved in the bag "change of clothes, walkman, headphones, sketchbook, pencil…well, hello, guess I was wrong about the weapons." Ashley extracted two knives: one a Swiss-army knife, the other a much older, small dagger sheathed in leather. Its handle was made of animal bone but was carefully wrapped in the same leather that made up the sheath. "Mom look at this thing!" she handed the knife carefully across the table. After examining it for just a moment, Magnus shook her head in surprise.

"The leather on this knife, it's at least two hundred years old, maybe more."

"Do you think he stole it?"

"It's impossible to say." Helen paused "Ashley hand me the sketchbook." Ashley gently pulled the book out from the bag and handed it to her mother "These sketches are remarkable; he obviously had a talent."

"Well, he was definitely a street kid, but I'd still like to know why those GI Joes were chasing him and why they killed him."

"Unfortunately, unless the dead figure out a way to talk, we may never know."

Suddenly the swinging door to the kitchen burst open, Bigfoot was in the doorway a look of surprise on his face.

"Dr. Magnus, the boy…he's waking up!" Helen exchanged a look with Ashley

"Impossible, I pronounced him dead, he had no pulse, there was no brain activity whatsoever!" she exclaimed, standing up.

"Well, there is now, the heart monitor showed a pulse and color is returning to his skin. He's alive."

Bigfoot didn't need to convince Helen and Ashley of anything else; the pair of them abandoned the boy's belongings in the kitchen and took off towards the med-lab.

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I felt an instinctive deep breath fill my lungs as life returned to my body. Off to my left, I could hear a beeping that matched my heartbeat, starting off slow as my heart slowly revived itself.

The tingling washed off my body as feeling returned to my extremities. The first thing I felt was cold. My eyes slowly opened and I understood why it was hazy. I was covered only by a thin sheet, my shirt was gone, from the waist up I was naked…again. I sat up, slipping the sheet off my face, but was pulled back as the wires attached to my arms and chest stretched to their limits.

Where the heck was I? A hospital? I looked around, didn't look like any hospital I'd ever seen, though I made it a point to avoid hospitals for the obvious reason.

The beeping noise turned into a loud screech as I yanked the suction cups off my chest before it went silent. I could see medical equipment all around me and felt my heart pick up pace, had those Cabal goons chasing me caught me when I died? I knew I was in some kind of lab, but not the same lab I had been in hours before…it felt different, safer even.

Damn, I had hoped I made it to the drain. I tried to think about the last thing I remembered, a gun aimed at my head, a shot, but not at my head, at the guy holding the gun.

Wherever I was, security sucked, big time. I expected at least some alarms to be ringing or a guard. I carefully slid off the table and jumped as I realized my sneakers were gone along with my shirt and backpack. Not again. Double damn. I had to find them, but where to start looking and how long did I have before the guns came out?

Not long apparently, as I heard the sound of footsteps running towards me. I quickly looked around for a place to hide. There was absolutely nowhere that would suffice, everything was open and exposed. I could only see one exit and that's where the footsteps were coming from.

I took a deep breath and jumped back onto the table. I threw the sheet over my head and stayed as still as possible, keeping my breaths shallow so much that I know it appeared I wasn't breathing at all.

Two sets of footsteps entered the room and I heard the door lock behind them. One was walking cautiously towards me, one the more surefooted. Both were women, one younger than the other, but not by much.

The older one was at the table, reaching towards the sheet. I could see her outline through the material. I willed my body to relax and kept my eyes closed as she pulled back the sheet.

I felt her hand touch my neck as she felt for a pulse and felt her dart back as she discovered one. I tried to stay still, but she shocked me…literally, I yelped and jumped off the table, hitting the floor hard I winced from the pain.

The blonde girl had a gun pointed at my head while the dark-haired woman put up her hands, trying to defuse the commotion.

"It's all right, no one is going to hurt you," she said gently, my ears perked as her accent filled them. She's British, that made things a little better. I've found that I can reason with English people better than most Americans. I've lost a lot of my own accent, but there's still a hint of it and with those familiar with it can pick up on it. I've gotten good at distinguishing my accent to fit whatever nationality I'm impersonating, so it was relatively easy to slip back into my old accent… Behind her, the blonde girl edged towards me, gun still pointed my direction "Ashley, put it away; he's not a threat."

"The dead kid is walking around breathing and very much alive, and you say he's not a threat?"

I held up my hands, showing I was unarmed, also showing her that there were no wounds. I was not injured, no reason to think I was dead.

"I'm sorry you thought I was dead. I can assure you that I'm not. Thanks for your hospitality, but I'd really like to get out of your hair, so if I can just have my shirt and backpack and possibly my shoes, I can be on my way and it will be like we never met."

The two women exchanged a look. The blonde one lowered the gun, slipping it into a holster, but she did keep her hand on the handle just in case. The brunette walked over to another table and lifted something up. My eyes went wide as I realized it was my tee-shirt, soaked with the rain and…I gulped…my blood, a very noticeable bullet sized hole that went through the shirt front and back. Crap.

"Are you going to tell me that this does not belong to you?" the brunette asked. "I find that hard to believe since I removed it from you myself."

"Maybe?" I asked. The doors slid open; I quickly gathered my options and took my chance. I threw the sheet at the blonde distracting her for just a moment as I bolted towards the exit and freedom. I didn't get far though as something big and hairy blocked my path, I ran into said hairy obstacle and landed back on my butt.

 

                                                                                              

The last thing I expected to see blocking my way was Bigfoot, but that's exactly what stood in the doorway. He glared down at me and my eyes went wide, what the hell were these people keeping here!? I've seen a lot in my lifetime, but this was a whole new one on the holy-crap-o-meter.

"Doctor?" the Bigfoot growled looking at the brunette. And it speaks…now that's the clincher, I had to get out of this madhouse, but ape-man was being very effective in blocking my path to freedom. He held out his hand to help me up and I backed up, slipping on the cold tile floor. I didn't want to get near Annie Oakley, but I also didn't want to be near King Kong either.

"Sweetheart it's okay, I promise no one is going to hurt you, but you need to listen to reason," the brunette said.

"I don't have to do anything, lady, except get out of here."

"Kid, I watched you, you were shot point-blank through the back, your shirt here proves that. What I don't get is how you're not only walking and talking but doing so without a scratch on you," the blonde interrupted.

"I'm a fast healer?" I answered truthfully.

"You were dead," the blonde argued.

"Was I?" I shot back, "Prove it." I stood up slowly.

"Regardless." The brunette raised her hands putting an end to the argument. She walked over to me slowly. "My name is Dr. Helen Magnus, this is my daughter Ashley, and—"

"Let me guess, Lurch's hairy half-brother?" I asked looking at King Kong. This comment seemed to amuse the three of them as they began laughing, something I didn't expect.

"In a manner of speaking," he answered.

Once again I began to wonder what kind of madhouse I had been brought too and cursed myself for not making it to the storm drain.

"What is this place?" I asked, "It's not a hospital, is it?"

"It's the Sanctuary," Dr. Magnus answered.

"Sanctuary?" I repeated. "Sanctuary for whom?" Then it dawned on me as I looked at Bigfoot. "Or is it what?"

"Correct on both," she replied. "I understand you are anxious to leave, and you will be allowed to do so."

"But?"

"But the truth of the matter is that my daughter brought you here with a fatal wound, I pronounced you dead, and the next thing we know, you are alive and fully healed. I would like to know how and even why that is the case."

"Am I to be a science experiment then?"

"If you'd like to think of it that way, that is fine, but I'd prefer you to think of it as a doctor's examination."

"Never had one of those, to be honest." I paused. "And afterward you'll let me go?"

"If you'd like, however, in addition, I am offering you a warm bed for the night and all the food you can eat. Tonight you do not need to worry about where you will sleep." She had a point there, it would be nice to sleep in an actual bed, something I hadn't done in a while. Not to mention not having to worry that I was going to get mugged or something while I slept.

"Fine…you've got a deal," I grumbled, "but first, where's my stuff?"

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To say I was stunned was an understatement. After handing me back my belongings (minus my sneakers) Dr. Magnus and Bigfoot gave me a brief tour of their so-called sanctuary. Things I never believed existed and things I had never even heard of were everywhere. They even had a bloody mermaid for cryin' out loud.

This place was amazing and frightening at the same time. I also felt safer here, like I belonged, like I was free, something I hadn't felt at the other place…there I felt like an experiment, a prisoner, with no other purpose than to be experimented on.

I found myself curious; a part of me didn't want to leave if only to understand this place. But the other part of me—I'm calling it the smarter part—wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.

I had a feeling that while these creatures may be protected here at this sanctuary, they were also prisoners, for their own good and the good of the world. I didn't want to become one of these "guests." The sooner the doc did her physical, the sooner I could get the hell out of here.

I followed Bigfoot and Dr. Magnus up through an elevator and into a normal looking section of the sanctuary, looking more like a house than a hospital. She opened one of the doors down the hall and ushered me in. The room was huge, or at least huge by my experience. I had never had a room this size or any size to myself like this and I had to turn to her to make sure this was mine.

"It's yours for as long as you'd like," she promised. I wandered in, looking around, and gently dropped my backpack on the bed. "Tomorrow you and I will order you some extra clothes and they will be yours to keep."

"I've got clothes ma'am."

She chuckled. "You have an extra pair of jeans and a very well worn T-shirt, those do not count."

"Eh, right," I muttered.

"So you haven't told us your name."

"Didn't I?"

She chuckled. "No, you didn't."

"Trev," I said softly, "It's Trev."

"No last name?"

"Look. IF you're planning on using that information to locate my parents or family you're gonna be out of luck. I'm an orphan. My parents have been dead for years and I've got no other family." Quickly I looked around the room; I've always been really good at thinking on my feet, especially when it came to names. I used whatever I could find for a last name since I've never known my real one. I don't even think I have a real one, to be honest. The overhead light caught my eye, light…light bulb…Edison, Thomas Edison. Play on the name a bit, "Trev Thomason."

This answer seemed to satisfy the doctor at least temporarily and she let it go, but I had a feeling she'd be digging deeper and I would have to be out of here before she dug too deep. I just hoped whatever her 'physical' meant, did not include anything like shots or being shot. I didn't want to heal and have her actually see it.

"Well Trev, my offer still stands even more so. You are more than welcome to stay here for however long you want."

"Thanks, Dr. Magnus." I glanced over at the doorway where Big Foot was still standing "Look, not that I'm scared or anything, but nothing's gonna come in here while I'm sleeping, y'know with your 'sanctuary for all' spiel."

"You have nothing to fear, honey." I reached into my backpack to feel for least my Swiss-army-knife. I'd feel better with that under my pillow tonight. But it was gone, so was my dagger. I heard Dr. Magnus clear her throat behind me "Trev, you won't find them in there."

"You…you guys took them?"

"You won't need any weapons tonight Trev."

"Right, that's why your daughter carries around two 9mms, a hand grenade, and a taser with her?"

Dr. Magnus smiled at that and chuckled a bit.

"Fair enough. I will return them to you under the condition that you promise not to use them. They are to stay on this dresser here understood?" I thought this over and nodded. She nodded to Bigfoot who reluctantly handed over my small dagger and my pocket knife.

"Thank you," I mumbled holding both weapons tight for a moment before depositing them on the dresser as promised. She nodded her appreciation and handed me a pair of pajamas.

"These might be a tad too large on you. I will wake you at 7:30 for breakfast, you have your own bathroom and we have provided towels, soap, toothpaste and a toothbrush if you'd like to freshen up before bed." She paused. "My room is right down the hall, three doors down the left on the right-hand side, if you need anything. I'm usually awake for most of the night."

"Right," I muttered, making my way over to the bathroom and ducking inside. I heard the bedroom door click close and knew I was alone.

I didn't need to "freshen" up, but I did splash some warm water on my face, just to make sure this wasn't some elaborate nightmare that I had concocted. It wouldn't be the first time, but the water assured me this was very real.

I reached into the shower and turned it, giving the impression that I was in the shower in case someone…or in this place, something, came in.

Once I was satisfied the sound of running water would deter any visitors I snuck over to the window and tried to force it open, I wasn't surprised but I was disappointed when it wouldn't budge. I glanced out the window which looked out onto a courtyard, I could see the New City lights across the river, there had to be a way out of this insane asylum.

I quietly made my way over to the door and cracked it open. At first, I heard nothing in the hall, but movement caught my attention, I saw a flash of blonde and rolled my eyes, Barbie was keeping an eye on me, great.

I sighed and quietly shut the door. I was trapped, literally trapped in this loony bin for freaks, being guarded by Big Foot and Packing Trigger Happy Barbie. Why the hell did I agree to stay here? I was better off on the streets than here.

Suddenly a flash caught my attention, I vaulted over the bed and returned to the window. A downpour of epic proportions had started up again. I made a face. What a choice, house arrest or drown in the monsoon outside.

 

                                                                   

I sighed and pulled the shade down, I was better off here—at least it was warm. The steam from the shower had snaked its way into the room, I felt sleepy from it, really sleepy. Might as well actually take the damn shower and get some rest.

I just hope I could be up early, long before the rest of the house was awake and make a break for it. Then I could put this entire nightmare of laboratories and soldiers and Bigfoot far, far behind me.


	3. Chapter 3

My goal was to be awake before 7:30, long before it and be long gone. But I repeat my argument; I've never had such a comfortable bed to sleep in, not once in my life so I ended up sleeping longer than I normally would have. I have my body on a pretty good alarm clock, but I was so exhausted and so warm I ignored my instincts.

I didn't wake up until I heard Dr. Magnus calling me. I glanced at my watch and groaned at realizing it was past 7:30, hell it was almost nine.

"I let you sleep a little longer, you obviously needed it," she said. I made a face, but luckily I was under the covers so I didn't feel guilty. "I do hope you are hungry, however." I groaned a second time as my stomach betrayed me and let out a loud growl. "Well, I suppose that settles that question." Dr. Magnus replied laughing.

After breakfast, which I will admit was filling and delicious, I followed the good doctor back into the elevator. We didn't speak as I nervously looked around. I reached for my necklace and rubbed it for reassurance. I was not unaware of Dr. Magnus glancing over.

Instead of going to the room I had revived in, we went to a more private exam room. Well, it was made to look private, I could see a glass window that I had seen on like cop shows the two-way glass and I wondered who was on the other side…Barbie, Bigfoot, some other creature I hadn't seen.

Computer screens and desktops were scattered all around the room, as well as other equipment I didn't recognize. Through a glass window opposite the two-way mirror, I could see a giant machine with a table attached to it, looking like a giant doughnut.

"So do you really think I'm one of these, whatcha call it…abnormal?" I asked

"At first glance, you appear very normal." Dr. Magnus answered, gesturing for me to hop onto the table.

"Thanks," I replied, "I think." I lifted myself up onto the table.

"However there is the fact that you were brought here and you did die last night. I saw your wound myself and there isn't a scratch on you this morning."

"Don't believe in miracles, Doc? I mean for starters you have a mermaid in a giant fish tank, that right there is a bloody miracle."

"I believe in miracles, Trev, but I also am a scientist, I need to understand how that miracle occurred."

"That's what a miracle is, you don't get to understand it or it loses its amazement."

"That is very logical."

"Yeah, you learn to be logical if you want to survive."

She looked at me quickly when I said that. "Trev, may I ask, how old are you?"

I've gotten good at just saying how old I look; I've never hesitated to lie. But I was taken aback by her question, probably the first time that has ever happened to me when asked the age question.

Something about Dr. Magnus made me feel comfortable around her like she could understand me… More importantly, I felt as if she could relate to my longevity, but I had no idea why I was feeling this way.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you the truth. So we'll go with thirteen."

She gave me a look and continued with the physical, I could tell she wanted to know why I didn't think she'd believe me but was respectfully leaving it alone for now.

"Would you object to some simple blood tests?" she asked and I shrugged.

"I guess not."

"Can you roll up your sleeve?" I complied and winced as she extracted a large needle from a kit. "You'll feel a little pinch, that's all." I started to remind her that I had been shot and therefore was not a stranger to pain, but I figured it was in my best interest at this point to keep quiet. She cleaned my arm with alcohol and came at me with the needle. As she basically sucked up my blood I glanced over. I've seen my blood before, but seeing it in a little tube gave me the chills, especially when I noticed it seemed to shine oddly especially when the light refracted off of it. "There, all done." Dr. Magnus said, bringing me back to reality. She handed me gauze to stop the bleeding as she put a stopper in the test tube and reached for a band-aid.

I felt the small pinprick size wound heal beneath the gauze and winced as Dr. Magnus pulled the gauze away and went to put the unnecessary band-aid on. She gasped a bit and nearly dropped the band-aid.

"Sorry," I mumbled

"It is true, I did not believe it, but it is true."

"That was a minor prick," I replied, "the smaller the wound the faster I heal. Something big takes a minute or so, possibly more if it's very big, like a gunshot." I reached over to the table and picked up a small scalpel.

At first Dr. Magnus made a move to stop me, but she hesitated and let me continue. I took a deep breath and made a deep cut on my arm. The blood began to flow almost instantly, but I made no move to wipe it away.

Instead, I let the blood drip down my arm as I held it out for Dr. Magnus to see. I felt the sparks in my arm as it began to heal. Her eyes grew wide as the wound healed itself, leaving only the blood as a reminder of the wound inflicted on it.

"Incredible," Dr. Magnus breathed as she handed me a cloth to wipe the blood off. "Trev, I am going to share something with you because I do believe you were not truthful about your age and I believe perhaps if I opened up to you, you might do the same for me."

"Okay…" I replied, more than a little confused.

"How old do you believe I am?"

I blinked, she looked like she was in her thirties, but I'm old enough to know that people get kind of testy when it comes to their age, especially girls.

"Um, twenty?" I guessed. She chuckled at that.

"Thank you for that, but I know you are thinking of another number. It is all right to be honest."

"Thirty-five," I guessed again. It was right in the middle; I figured I would be safe with that answer.

"What would you say if I told you I am 157?"

My mouth dropped open. I was speechless for a good few seconds. I had never met anyone who even came close to half my age, but she was closer than anyone I had ever met.

"No…no way," I stumbled over the words "how is that possible?"

"That my young friend is a very long story, one which I will be glad to share with you later." I looked at my hands, I wanted to tell her, but I wanted proof that she was that old, physical proof, after all, they would be wanting the same from me. "You do not believe me."

"It's not that Dr. Magnus, I just…" I paused. "No, I don't," I admitted. If we were truly being honest with each other here I would take the first step—at least the first step until she proved to me her age.

"Fair enough." She paused. "We need to take an MRI of your brain, just part of the physical. While you are in the machine I will run up and retrieve the proof you seek." She turned to the door and nodded. It swung open and Big Foot entered, followed closely by a guy carrying a computer tablet. "Trev, you have already met the Big Guy," I raised an eyebrow…that's what they call him, Big Guy? "This is Henry."

"Hey Kid," Henry exclaimed holding out his hand "good to meet you, welcome to the Sanctuary."

I timidly shook his hand

"They will stay with you during the MRI until I return, is that all right?" I nodded. "Please explain to Trev how the machine works and begin. I will be right back." And with that Dr. Magnus left.

Now it was just the three of us, me, Big Foot, and Bill Gates. Big Foot looked at me expectantly and I returned the look.

"You need to get on that table," he explained. I slowly hopped off the exam table and even more slowly made my way to the MRI machine. I laid down on the table reluctantly and nervously glanced around. I didn't like this, not at all.

"Shoot," I heard Henry mutter, "I don't get it, these two cannot get along—it's like impossible for it to happen." I glanced over at him. He was flicking the tablet. Big Foot grunted at him. "I'm trying Big Guy, it's not responding."

"Is it frozen?" I asked sitting up.

Henry looked over at me with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah."

"Can I see it for a second?"

He exchanged a look with Big Foot who shrugged, then handed the tablet to me. I've self-taught myself computers and hacking, after all, I've been around longer than computers and I've been with them as they have developed and got faster and more productive. I'm no computer genius, but I'm pretty good with them. I tapped the device a few times in key spots and looked at the side of it carefully. One push of the button had the device chirping happily. "I think I got it fixed for now, but you're going to need to run a level three diagnostic temp frag to reboot the whole system, or this is going to keep happening." The pair of them stared at me as if I had three heads, which in this place someone might. "I taught myself codes and hacking…sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? Kid this is awesome! As of this moment, I am crowning you my assistant."

I started to tell Henry that I wasn't planning on sticking around, but I figured arguing would get me nowhere. Instead, I laid back down on the table without a word.

"Stay perfectly still." The Big Guy grunted, "the more you move the longer this takes."

"Okay."

I'm really good at staying still, when you have to play dead every once in a while you learn how to control your breathing and your body. I felt the table move and I jumped a bit as it did

"It is okay; do not be afraid." Big Guy added, trying to reassure me. I just wanted this over and done with.

The entire test lasted about ten minutes, five minutes of my head being in the hole of the giant doughnut and the other five my entire body passing through it. By the time it was over Dr. Magnus had returned, in tow a blondish-brown haired bloke with glasses.

"Trev, this is Dr. Zimmerman," she announced.

He held out his hand to me. "Will, please," he added.

"Hey," I replied, shaking it.

"Will and I would like to talk to you while your results are tested," Dr. Magnus said pleasantly.

"Er, okay," I said hopping off the table and following her and Will out of the lab room and back into the elevator.

I don't know how many levels we went up, but when the doors slid open, we were back in the normal-looking part of the house. Dr. Magnus walked down the hall a few doors and held one open for me, gesturing inside.

"My office," she explained. She pointed out one of the chairs opposite the desk and motioned for me to have a seat. Will took the chair next to it and she sat behind the desk. "Would you like something to drink? Soda, coffee, tea?"

I usually drink whatever I can find. I've never had a preference, though I've also never really been offered a choice. It sounds kind of sissy, but I kind of wanted a cup of tea. I hadn't had it in a long time and loved the taste of it.

"Tea please?" I asked timidly. Dr. Magnus seemed to smile at that and pressed a button on her desk.

"The usual please, two cups of tea and coffee for Will," she spoke into the receiver before looking up at me.

"Thank you," I said softly.

"Well Trev, we have many questions for you and I'm sure you have quite a few for us as well. But first things first, you asked for proof that I am as old as I stated correct?" I nodded. "Finding distinct proof is difficult as you mentioned before sometimes you have to rely on faith and miracles, yes?"

Again I nodded. She reached into her desk and pulled out several framed photographs and handed them to me. The first couple was of her and several powerful and well-known figures, but these were recent, American Presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, even Princess Diana and South Africa's President, Nelson Mandela.

But the more I flipped through the older the photos seemed to get and the more historical the figures themselves became, to the point where I wasn't sure I was seeing who I thought I was seeing…after all, these people had been dead for a hundred years or more, but in each photograph, there was Dr. Magnus unchanged.

"157?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yes…"

"How?"

"The reason behind my longevity is as I said a long story. I will be happy to share it with you at a later time. But now that you have seen my proof, I will ask you the age question once more."

"You still won't believe me…for one thing, I have nothing but my experience and memories to prove it…I have no reason behind it, I cannot explain it."

"Try, sweetheart. We only wish to help you."

I winced at that and couldn't look at either of them.

"You've been running a long time, haven't you?" Will asked and I nodded.

"As long as I can remember."

"In that time, have you had anyone you could rely on or trust?"

"Once in a great while…but I've gotten good at taking care of myself. As long as you're careful and smart you can last forever on the streets. I've been all over the world surviving on my instinct and experience and up until recently, it's kept me safe. I mean there's the once in a while time I get nabbed by a social service goody. I've been thrown in my fair share of orphanages and group homes, but I've always managed to get out of them."

"Let us skip the age question for a moment. When Ashley found you last night you were being pursued by what could be described as an army. Do you remember last night at all?"

"A bit…I remember running and I remember getting shot, but that is all," I said softly, admitting that I had been shot…it was pointless to deny that fact any longer. Dr. Magnus had seen my wound herself, she had removed my shirt with the bullet hole through my back, she had seen my wounds heal right in front of her.

"What about before that?"

The lab flashed in my mind…the woman with the heels on the tile floor, being called the property of the Cabal…I didn't want to lie to Dr. Magnus and Will, they might be able to help. This wasn't something I had experienced before—most everything that comes my way I can handle on my own without help, but this was different and I knew it.

I was faced with something that was new to me, but I didn't want to admit this aloud nor did I want to give Dr. Magnus and Will this knowledge, fearing that by knowing it put them in danger.

"Nothing…I remember arriving in New City on the ferry, but after that, it's all a blur until I was in the alleyway." I finished. It would be left at that and until it became necessary I wouldn't mention the lab, the Cabal, any of it. I hoped maybe I could put it behind me like some nightmare never to speak of it again.

I could see the look in Dr. Magnus's eyes, she obviously didn't believe me on that, but also seemed to realize I had to trust her at my own pace…mainly because I was about to disclose something I had never told anyone before…

"Then we will leave it at that…now back to the age question. Trev, how old are you really?"

I took a deep breath

"To be honest…I'm not exactly sure of my true age. I can give you a ballpark number and that will have to suffice. Calendars and dates weren't really important nor available where and when I was born."

"Which was?"

"From what I can remember, I was born in Scotland…somewhere in the north…I don't know the name of the village and I certainly don't remember my clan name I don't think I had one, to be honest. I can tell you that I do remember the first time I even heard of a year…it was 1607…by then I was the age I appear now, but I had been alive for at least a lifetime already, so I've estimated I was born around 1520 maybe 1510, perhaps even earlier than that. But that's all I can tell you."

Will and Dr. Magnus stared at me for a moment, Will looked like he was unconvinced, but Dr. Magnus seemed to believe me.

"And you haven't aged a day since you turned what twelve?"

"I suppose…my grandfather—at least that's what I called him—he wasn't my real grandfather he told me that twelve winters had passed since my mother came to their village seeking refuge. She gave birth to me a day after entering the village."

"Did he know where she had come from?"

"No…she wouldn't say. He only told me what he knew because he said I was growing up and was man enough to be told. He said a man who would lead a clan needed to know his own past if he were to lead others, a man had to be strong enough to handle his own past. He wanted me to become chieftain of the clan when he died, I was the only son he had ever known and though I called him grandfather he was more like a father to me. He told me that my mother had been banished from her own clan because of me…that the clan hadn't wanted me because of my father and had wanted to execute my mother and me for her defilement. She claimed she had been raped, but her parents hadn't believed her."

"This may be a difficult question Trev, but did you ever learn who your father was?"

I shook my head.

"No, Grandfather did not know, he only knew that he was an outsider who had been offered a place to rest in her village and had taken advantage. Grandfather suspected he was an English soldier…they were known for doing stuff like that, especially back then, but it wasn't like there was DNA testing back then, so we never knew and I never pried into it."

"When did things change?"

"I guess it started when I was nine or so, my friends were all experiencing growth spurts and I was not, I was far behind them in maturation. It wasn't until I was turning fourteen did things really become obvious I hadn't changed in years even, and I barely looked twelve years old…and within a year after that, the entire village became suspicious. Not only was I not aging, but every little scrap or injury I received healed faster than a normal wound. Grandfather tried to keep things under control for a while, but…" I felt a pain in my chest. "…my own mother was leading the charges…she claimed witchcraft… blamed my father for burdening her with a demon. She riled everyone up, proclaiming that they had to destroy me to save my soul, whatever was left of it. I should've been fifteen by this point, my friends were all in their adult bodies, many of them were already growing facial hair and some of my older friends were preparing to marry even. While I still looked like a child. The village came for me one night…I was asleep when they knocked down the door. It took three of them apparently to drag me out, I mean, look at me, I'm not a big guy, but they weren't taking any chances: three grown men against one small kid. I remember they dragged me to the center of the village, wood had been stewed around and a caber had been left in the middle. It didn't take a genius to figure out what they were about to do." I paused and looked at Dr. Magnus and Will, though Will still looked skeptical, he like Dr. Magnus were both horrified and shocked by my story.

"I remember screaming for my mother as they tied me to the caber, I was terrified because I knew what was coming, but I didn't understand why. Not until I saw a glow of firelight…my mother was holding the torch, she had a dead look in her eyes like she had no remorse for what she was about to do. I was not her son I was an abomination that needed to be destroyed to save whatever bit of her son had survived. That got the rest of them going… clan members I had known all my life turned against me. They shouted that I was a changeling, left by demons in the forest, while the real Tavish had been taken to their home in the faiyre land. The reason I hadn't aged was that I had foolishly forgotten to make myself look older. After that accusation my mother didn't speak to me…not one word, she simply touched the torch to the dry straw and ignited the pyre."

My hands were shaking, I had never told anyone what had happened to me that night, this was the first time I had ever spoken of it aloud, but it is one of my clearest memories, I cannot remember much from my childhood, after all it was centuries ago, but I do remember that night like it happened days ago instead of hundreds of years.

"I remember feeling the flames licking at my bare feet, the smoke was suffocating I couldn't breathe even though I kept screaming for my mother to save me. I knew death was coming and even though I kept screaming I had accepted death. Before the fire could consume me I heard a familiar shout and felt myself being cut loose from the caber and pulled onto the back of a horse. The rider galloped away from the pyre and the village and it wasn't until we were a good mile or two from the village did the rider stop the horse and face me. It was my grandfather he had saved me. He apologized for what had happened. He assured me he had tried to stop it and when that had failed he took the next step and rescued me, but he reminded me that I was no longer welcome in the village, that much he couldn't change. I would be killed on the spot if I returned.

He brought me deep into the woods, miles from the nearest village. I had only gone there once, hunting a stag a year or so before with my grandfather. No one went into that wood except the Chieftain. The clan was superstitious, they believed ghouls and other creatures of the underworld stalked the woods… including a great beast, covered in hair, moving like a man but could not speak. It was said to take children and devour them."

I saw Dr. Magnus and Will exchange a look. I hoped Dr. Magnus now understood why I had been so frightened of the Big Guy.

"It was because of these tales and suspicions, Grandfather thought it would be perfect to hide me: no one would dare step foot there. After everything that had happened, there was the slightest inkling in the back of my mind that he might have brought me to the woods to give me a more peaceful death. Kill me with a sword rather than burn me alive. Give me the death of a Chieftain's son rather than an abomination. Instead, he gave me as many supplies as he had carried, including the dagger and some food and promised me he would return in the morning. I was on my own that night…it was the first time I had ever been alone. I was so scared I don't think I even slept. I didn't expect grandfather to return, in fact, I was positive he had left me to die."

"So he returned?" Dr. Magnus asked.

"Yeah, the very next morning as promised. He spent the next few days teaching me survival, stronger hunting skills, and better fighting skills. His visits became shorter and less often until he stopped coming all together and I knew I was truly on my own. I never knew if he stopped coming so I could learn to survive on my own or if something happened to him, at the time I didn't dwell on it. I had to look out for myself; I was on my own." I paused and looked at them. "And since then I have been sort of…I've been nabbed by cops and thrown in foster care, but I've always managed to escape it. I've been arrested for larceny and thrown in more jails then I care to remember. There is nothing pleasant about the Bailey Courthouse and Newgate Prison. Neither of them is high on my recommendations for accommodations, and neither is any juvi place in either the US or Canada."

Dr. Magnus looked up at me quickly. "You are 157 years old, Dr. Magnus, that means you would know workhouses and places like that were still in full operation well into the end of the 19th century, well I was a guest of a few of them. I did what I had to in order to survive. I am not proud of every aspect of my past, but I have accepted that it was for my survival." I finished and looked at both adults expectantly. Dr. Magnus seemed to have accepted what I had told; Will on the other hand—he looked beyond skeptical.

I took a deep breath, this wasn't going well…and this was exactly why I have never told anyone. It's impossible to believe. Dr. Magnus at least had proof of her age, I had nothing. I have literally the clothes on my back and a well-worn backpack that contains my entire life. My knife is my only proof of how old I truly am. Both the leather sheath and the knife belonged to my grandfather, and his father, and his father before that, both are well over a thousand years old, but how do you prove that?

"Trev, do you remember where you were born? Perhaps the general vicinity?" Dr. Magnus asked.

I closed my eyes for a second, I could picture my home I could picture the rolling hills and the forest I had lived in for years after my grandfather stopped coming. But the problem is, Scotland looks like that all over the entire highlands. My village could have been anywhere in Scotland and the way the English were invading and the clans refused to come together, my village could have been destroyed hundreds of years ago.

I looked back at the pair.

"You don't believe me do you?"

Dr. Magnus started to deny it, but just by the way Will looked at her I could see she believed me, he didn't. But Dr. Magnus clearly wanted to know why, more specifically how, something even I couldn't answer.

The door opened revealing Big Guy, carrying a tray full of coffee cups. He set the tray down on Dr. Magnus's desk and handed the cups to each of us and set a bowl of sugar cubes and a small cup of milk down as well.

I hesitated for a second before reaching over and scooping sugar cube after sugar cube into my cup. I looked up when I felt three sets of eyes on me, Dr. Magnus, Will, and Big Guy looked at each other and began chuckling.

"Sorry," I replied setting the spoon back into the bowl

"Darling, you need to stop apologizing so much."

I grinned a bit and nodded. I took a sip of the tea and my grin widened; I looked up at the Big Guy and nodded.

"It's delicious," I said, "Thank you." I paused. "May I use the bathroom?"

"Of course, it's left down the hall third door on the right."

I set the tea down and quickly left the room. But I didn't head to the bathroom. My goal was to get back to my room, grab my stuff and leave.

"Poor thing." I heard Dr. Magnus say.

"Can we really believe all this?" Will replied I stopped in my tracks, listening carefully.

"It is not so difficult to comprehend." Magnus answered, "Look at me."

"But you're not claiming to be nearly five hundred years old and a kid."

"No, I am not, but he is and I believe him."

"Okay, let's say hypothetically he's telling the truth; he believes he was born in the 16th century," Will argued. I believe? I thought I don't believe it, I know it. Bloody hell I have lived it! "How is it possible?"

"Henry?"

My ears perked up, Henry was there? Dr. Magnus must have had another entrance into her office.

"We've run every blood test we can think of on him, comparing it to abnormals with similar abilities, but none of them even come close to the healing factor the kid has. Physically as far as we can tell he's twelve years old, at the oldest." Henry paused. "But unfortunately, Doc, there's no way to tell how old he really is, everything about him matches up for an eleven or twelve-year-old, even his teeth. He even has one baby tooth left and all of his wisdom."

My tongue instinctively touched the tooth that Henry spoke of, the one thing that should have separated me from my childhood, my constant reminder that I may have stopped aging at thirteen, but my body had begun the process years before.

"From my examination of Trev last night and this morning he had no injuries on him, even signs from last night are gone, no scar no marks. The rate that his body repairs itself are remarkable. Minor wounds repair themselves in seconds and more serious wounds seem to take only minutes to heal on the surface and continue to heal internally."

"How do you explain last night? The machines, you pronounced him dead, he had no vitals."

There was silence as Dr. Magnus contemplated an answer to the Big Guy's question and I found myself wondering as well. I had always just taken what happened to me as it came. I don't know if death is the right description for what occurs. I know I pass out when the wound is serious. I know I don't dream, I don't feel anything.

I don't know if I die in that sense of the word, but my mind puts me on like hibernate mode and I don't remember anything from the time I pass out until I feel numbness leaving my body, slowly allowing me to awake.

"I cannot explain last night." My shoulders sank, Dr. Magnus seemed to be the only one who could have told me anything and she was just as unsure. "I did send some of his blood-work to James of the London Sanctuary. James has a theory of course, but nothing substantial until he has run more tests—that and he would like to meet Trev in person."

"Just out of curiosity Doc, what kind of theory?" Henry asked.

"James and I came to the conclusion that only one other race of abnormal shares some of Trev's unique abilities."

"Are you certain?" I heard Big Guy speak up and I leaned closer to the door straining to hear, I was so close to the door I was surprised that he hadn't smelt me.

"Okay, someone want to enlighten me here?" Will spoke up, sounding more confused than anyone else in that room.

"Thousands of years ago there was an ancient race of abnormal who ruled humanity, ruled is an understatement, however, humanity was enslaved by these abnormal and lived in fear of the power their masters held. It took cooperation among humanity and fierce wars against the abnormals, but they were eventually overthrown and weakened enough so to be hunted to near extinction. For the most part, the race was annihilated and the survivors were sterilized. Though up until about the 17th-century remnants of the race was present in Europe and parts of Asia, before it was completely extinguished with only genetic descendants to remain where the gene stayed dormant and for the most part unnoticed. This race was gifted with unmatchable speed, intelligence, strength, and immortality. Even severe injuries were survivable and would heal with rapid speed. Of course, there have only been one or two documented cases of a descendent with the genetic makeup, for the most part, that particular gene has faded with each generation after the first."

"And you think Trev is one of these, that he's a carrier of this gene?"

"Yes, I believe Trev was born with the genetic coding which gives him his abilities, I also think he is closer to the first generation then anyone realizes."

I backed away from the door now and stopped when I hit the wall, could this be correct? Could I be a descendant of the ancient race Dr. Magnus had spoken of, the one that had enslaved humanity? What kind of monsters had my ancestors been, how had they come to be…?

"The abnormal goes by many names, but are most well known by a single name, one that has many connotations in today's world…Vampires, Sanguine Vampiris."

I felt my stomach drop as my body sunk to the floor, my stomach began to twist into knots and I felt like I was going to be sick. I wanted answers, but this wasn't the answer I wanted. I'm not a monster…a freak maybe, definitely a thief, but I'm not a monster.

My mind told me to run, run away from this, but my legs buckled underneath me and I fell against the wall. I slid down the wall to the floor trying to wrap my head around all of this.

A vampire…for one thing did I didn't believe in them, ghosts, vampires, things that go bump in the night, I didn't believe in any of it. Heck, before coming to this place I didn't believe in any of the stuff I had seen in the last 24 hours, and now not only was I learning the last thing I expected to be real was actually real, but not only that, but I was one, or at least the descendant of one.

Wait…Dr. Magnus had said I was closer to the first generation then anyone realized, my god…my father, I never knew anything about him, bloody hell, was he a vampire?

My stomach felt queasy and I covered my head with my hands, I couldn't stay here, I had to leave this place. I'd pickpocket enough money, buy enough supplies and disappear into the wilderness. I can rebuild my cabin, I had it in the middle of nowhere a hundred years ago, no one ever found me. Then I can do that again hide for the next hundred years.

But I had to stand up, I had to move and I couldn't…I couldn't stand, heck, I could barely breathe, my chest was tight, was this what a heart attack felt like, or a panic attack, was that what I was experiencing, was that even physically possible for me?

I started breathing heavy, hyperventilating when I felt a hand on my shoulder. In any other place I wouldn't have been afraid, but in this place, who knew what was grabbing me. Needless to say, I was very surprised when I looked up and saw Ashley kneeling at my side.

"Are you okay Trev?"

I raised an eyebrow in suspicion, after all, Ashley had been tailing me since I woke up here, she obviously didn't trust me, but the look on her face was general concern.

"Define okay?" She looked at the closed office door and back down at me

"I'm guessing you heard something you didn't like?"

"More like wasn't expecting," I mumbled. Ashley sighed and stood up, to my surprise she held out her hand.

"Come on, kid, let's talk."

Against my better judgment, I accepted her hand, she pulled me up and headed down the hall, sighing, I followed her, away from the talk of vampires and ancient abnormals.

She led me to the roof, one of many parts of the sanctuary I had yet to explore. She walked right to the stone wall and sat down leaning against a gargoyle. I was much more timid to do so, I was still suspicious of Ashley Magnus, and pretty sure she wanted to toss me off the roof. Even though I knew I would survive, a fall like that would hurt like hell.

"Come on, I'm not going to throw you off, I promise," Ashley spoke up, a genuine smile on her face.

"Right," I answered softly.

I took a deep breath, trust must work both ways. I slowly walked over to her and sat down against the gargoyle across from her. I couldn't help as my eyes shifted and stared in amazement. It was New City, it was just getting dusk so the lights on the buildings across the bay were just beginning to turn on. It was the most beautiful sight I had seen in a long time.

"I guess you and I kind of got off on the wrong foot, huh?" Ashley said bringing me back to reality.

I shrugged, her words not mine.

"I suppose."

"Kid, I usually don't admit stuff like this and if you tell Henry or Biggie you'll regret it, but you scared the hell out of me." I shrugged again.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." I paused. "Look, I didn't get a chance to say thank you, you saved my life…and not the way you think." I took another deep breath.

"Are you really six hundred years old?"

Now I grinned.

"Naw, I'm only about four hundred and ninety or so, maybe five hundred. To be honest I don't know." I paused and looked out at the city. "Is your mom really 157 years old?" Ashley nodded. "Don't take this the wrong way, but what does that make you?"

Now Ashley laughed.

"Not even close to that. I'll let my mom explain it."

I nodded and sighed.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Go for it."

"Did you figure out who shot me? Just out of curiosity."

"We have a good idea." Ashley paused. "You don't remember anything?" I pulled my knees closer to my chest and didn't answer her "Trev?"

"Who are they?"

"You really like answering questions with questions, huh?"

"It gets me my answers." I replied, "Usually."

"About a month ago we had a run in with a group called the Cabal." My stomach dropped and my mind flashed, 'You are far too valuable to let go, you belong to the Cabal you have always belonged to the Cabal.' "We raided this tomb in Scotland and found three powerful ghouls that they had been keeping on ice for hundreds of years. The Cabal attacked here at the Sanctuary and in order to stop the attack the sisters went back to the Cabal."

"Sisters?"

"Something to do with King Arthur and Mor—"

"Morgana LeFey?" I interrupted.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

I grinned and shrugged.

"Who doesn't know the King Arthur, Merlin, and Morgana LeFey story. I remember hearing about the Moragan once, witches with an unbelievable power to kill armies of men in a single thought. They were legends, folktales I'd hear." I paused. "Merlin's story was always a favorite of mine. After I lost everything, a part of me wondered if I really did possess magic like everyone believed, it would make my life easier. At first, it was a thought of revenge, but then maybe I could use it to help them understand, maybe be accepted again." I put my head down. "Maybe my mother would love me again."

Ashley didn't say anything for a minute, she just looked out at New City. She seemed to hesitate for a second before she reached over and patted my shoulder once.

"I can't imagine that." I looked at her and she was actually smiling at me. "Look, my mom's going to say the same thing, but you know you can stay here for as long as you want, right?"

"Yeah, I appreciate it, but I don't stay places long. The longer you stay somewhere the easier it is to be tracked."

Now Ashley looked at me oddly.

"Tracked? You mean like last night." I didn't answer "Kid come on, you know you're safe here, right?" She paused. "I mean you've seen the defenses Henry has."

"No one is ever truly safe, anywhere. Even in their own home. Evil has a way of finding you, ignorance, death, cruelty, hatred, pain. You figure that out when you've been around a long time, after the first hundred years you still have a flicker of faith that there is such thing as a safe place, I mean Dr. Magnus probably knows that much."

"And after?"

I put my head down.

"Right around the one hundred and ninety mark you start feeling less safe and more alone, you brush it off as loneliness and still hold out the hope that maybe you'll feel like you did when you were a kid. And by the time you're two hundred you've become a bitter recluse like myself. I haven't felt completely safe and home in over four hundred years and being here in this place isn't going to change that. A few days are all I feel safe with." I lowered my voice staring out at the city lights, wondering if I had said too much.

"You know about the Cabal, you know it was them who were following you, don't you?" I didn't say anything for a second before I nodded. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I…I wasn't planning on staying here…I figured let your mom study me then in a few days I will be gone, and I won't bring them to you guys. I can hide myself, especially now that I know they're after me."

"So when they were chasing you-"

"I kind of made them a little angry."

Ashley put up her hand.

"Five hundred years you've been on your own right?"

"Yeah, for the most part."

"How about just giving a home a try, maybe it won't be as bad as you think."

"And just forget about my arch nemesis?"

Ashley hopped off the stone ledge and held out her hand. I eyed it suspiciously.

"Let's see what my mom has to say, I think we might have an answer for even that."


	4. Chapter 4

The door opened revealing Big Guy, carrying a tray full of coffee cups. He set the tray down on Dr. Magnus's desk and handed the cups to each of us and set a bowl of sugar cubes and a small cup of milk down as well.

I hesitated for a second before reaching over and scooping sugar cube after sugar cube into my cup. I looked up when I felt three sets of eyes on me, Dr. Magnus, Will, and Big Guy looked at each other and began chuckling.

"Sorry," I replied setting the spoon back into the bowl

"Darling, you need to stop apologizing so much."

I grinned a bit and nodded. I took a sip of the tea and my grin widened; I looked up at the Big Guy and nodded.

"It's delicious," I said, "Thank you." I paused. "May I use the bathroom?"

"Of course, it's left down the hall third door on the right."

I set the tea down and quickly left the room. But I didn't head to the bathroom. My goal was to get back to my room, grab my stuff and leave.

"Poor thing." I heard Dr. Magnus say.

"Can we really believe all this?" Will replied I stopped in my tracks, listening carefully.

"It is not so difficult to comprehend." Magnus answered, "Look at me."

"But you're not claiming to be nearly five hundred years old and a kid."

"No, I am not, but he is and I believe him."

"Okay, let's say hypothetically he's telling the truth; he believes he was born in the 16th century," Will argued. I believe? I thought I don't believe it, I know it. Bloody hell I have lived it! "How is it possible?"

"Henry?"

My ears perked up, Henry was there? Dr. Magnus must have had another entrance into her office.

"We've run every blood test we can think of on him, comparing it to abnormals with similar abilities, but none of them even come close to the healing factor the kid has. Physically as far as we can tell he's twelve years old, at the oldest." Henry paused. "But unfortunately, Doc, there's no way to tell how old he really is, everything about him matches up for an eleven or twelve-year-old, even his teeth. He even has one baby tooth left and all of his wisdom."

My tongue instinctively touched the tooth that Henry spoke of, the one thing that should have separated me from my childhood, my constant reminder that I may have stopped aging at thirteen, but my body had begun the process years before.

"From my examination of Trev last night and this morning he had no injuries on him, even signs from last night are gone, no scar no marks. The rate that his body repairs itself is remarkable. Minor wounds repair themselves in seconds and more serious wounds seem to take only minutes to heal on the surface and continue to heal internally."

"How do you explain last night? The machines, you pronounced him dead, he had no vitals."

There was silence as Dr. Magnus contemplated an answer to the Big Guy's question and I found myself wondering as well. I had always just taken what happened to me as it came. I don't know if death is the right description for what occurs. I know I pass out when the wound is serious. I know I don't dream, I don't feel anything.

I don't know if I die in that sense of the word, but my mind puts me on like hibernate mode and I don't remember anything from the time I pass out until I feel numbness leaving my body, slowly allowing me to awake.

"I cannot explain last night." My shoulders sank, Dr. Magnus seemed to be the only one who could have told me anything and she was just as unsure. "I did send some of his blood-work to James of the London Sanctuary. James has a theory of course, but nothing substantial until he has run more tests—that and he would like to meet Trev in person."

"Just out of curiosity Doc, what kind of theory?" Henry asked.

"James and I came to the conclusion that only one other race of abnormal shares some of Trev's unique abilities."

"Are you certain?" I heard Big Guy speak up and I leaned closer to the door straining to hear, I was so close to the door I was surprised that he hadn't smelt me.

"Okay, someone want to enlighten me here?" Will spoke up, sounding more confused than anyone else in that room.

"Thousands of years ago there was an ancient race of abnormal who ruled humanity, ruled is an understatement however, humanity was enslaved by these abnormal and lived in fear of the power their masters held. It took cooperation among humanity and fierce wars against the abnormals, but they were eventually overthrown and weakened enough so to be hunted to near extinction. For the most part the race was annihilated and the survivors were sterilized. Though up until about the 17th century remnants of the race was present in Europe and parts of Asia, before it was completely extinguished with only genetic descendants to remain where the gene stayed dormant and for the most part unnoticed. This race was gifted with unmatchable speed, intelligence, strength, and immortality. Even severe injuries were survivable and would heal with rapid speed. Of course, there has only been one or two documented cases of a descendent with the genetic makeup, for the most part that particular gene has faded with each generation after the first."

"And you think Trev is one of these, that he's a carrier of this gene?"

"Yes, I believe Trev was born with the genetic coding which gives him his abilities, I also think he is closer to the first generation then anyone realizes."

I backed away from the door now and stopped when I hit the wall, could this be correct? Could I be a descendent of the ancient race Dr. Magnus had spoke of, the one that had enslaved humanity? What kind of monsters had my ancestors been, how had they come to be…?

"The abnormal goes by many names, but are most well known by a single name, one that has many connotations in today's world…Vampires, Sanguine Vampiris."

I felt my stomach drop as my body sunk to the floor, my stomach began to twist into knots and I felt like I was going to be sick. I wanted answers, but this wasn't the answer I wanted. I'm not a monster…a freak maybe, definitely a thief, but I'm not a monster.

My mind told me to run, run away from this, but my legs buckled underneath me and I fell against the wall. I slid down the wall to the floor trying to wrap my head around all of this.

A vampire…for one thing did I didn't believe in them, ghosts, vampires, things that go bump in the night, I didn't believe in any of it. Heck, before coming to this place I didn't believe in any of the stuff I had seen in the last 24 hours, and now not only was I learning the last thing I expected to be real was actually real, but not only that, but I was one, or at least the descendent of one.

Wait…Dr. Magnus had said I was closer to the first generation then anyone realized, my god…my father, I never knew anything about him, bloody hell, was he a vampire?

My stomach felt queasy and I covered my head with my hands, I couldn't stay here, I had to leave this place. I'd pickpocket enough money, buy enough supplies and disappear into the wilderness. I can rebuild my cabin, I had it in the middle of nowhere a hundred years ago, no one ever found me. Then I can do that again hide for the next hundred years.

But I had to stand up, I had to move and I couldn't…I couldn't stand, heck, I could barely breathe, my chest was tight, was this what a heart attack felt like, or a panic attack, was that what I was experiencing, was that even physically possibly for me?

I started breathing heavy, hyperventilating, when I felt a hand on my shoulder. In any other place I wouldn't have been afraid, but in this place, who knew what was grabbing me. Needless to say I was very surprised when I looked up and saw Ashley kneeling at my side.

"Are you okay Trev?"

I raised an eyebrow in suspicion, after all, Ashley had been tailing me since I woke up here, she obviously didn't trust me, but the look on her face was general concern.

"Define okay?" She looked at the closed office door and back down at me

"I'm guessing you heard something you didn't like?"

"More like wasn't expecting." I mumbled. Ashley sighed and stood up, to my surprise she held out her hand.

"Come on, kid, let's talk."

Against my better judgment, I accepted her hand, she pulled me up and headed down the hall, sighing, I followed her, away from the talk of vampires and ancient abnormals.

She led me to the roof, one of many parts of the sanctuary I had yet to explore. She walked right to the stone wall and sat down leaning against a gargoyle. I was much more timid to do so, I was still suspicious of Ashley Magnus, and pretty sure she wanted to toss me off the roof. Even though I knew I would survive, a fall like that would hurt like hell.

"Come on, I'm not going to throw you off, I promise," Ashley spoke up, a genuine smile on her face.

"Right," I answered softly.

I took a deep breath, trust must work both ways. I slowly walked over to her and sat down against the gargoyle across from her. I couldn't help as my eyes shifted and stared in amazement. It was New City, it was just getting dusk so the lights on the buildings across the bay were just beginning to turn on. It was the most beautiful sight I had seen in a long time.

"I guess you and I kind of got off on the wrong foot, huh?" Ashley said bringing me back to reality.

I shrugged, her words not mine.

"I suppose."

"Kid, I usually don't admit stuff like this and if you tell Henry or Biggie you'll regret it, but you scared the hell out of me." I shrugged again.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." I paused. "Look, I didn't get a chance to say thank you, you saved my life…and not the way you think." I took another deep breath.

"Are you really six hundred years old?"

Now I grinned.

"Naw, I'm only about four hundred and ninety or so, maybe five hundred. To be honest I don't know." I paused and looked out at the city. "Is your mom really 157 years old?" Ashley nodded. "Don't take this the wrong way, but what does that make you?"

Now Ashley laughed.

"Not even close to that. I'll let my mom explain it."

I nodded and sighed.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Go for it."

"Did you figure out who shot me? Just out of curiosity."

"We have a good idea." Ashley paused. "You don't remember anything?" I pulled my knees closer to my chest and didn't answer her "Trev?"

"Who are they?"

"You really like answering questions with questions, huh?"

"It gets me my answers." I replied, "Usually."

"About a month ago we had a run in with a group called the Cabal." My stomach dropped and my mind flashed, 'You are far too valuable to let go, you belong to the Cabal you have always belonged to the Cabal.' "We raided this tomb in Scotland and found three powerful ghouls that they had been keeping on ice for hundreds of years. The Cabal attacked here at the Sanctuary and in order to stop the attack the sisters went back to the Cabal."

"Sisters?"

"Something to do with King Arthur and Mor—"

"Morgana LeFey?" I interrupted.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

I grinned and shrugged.

"Who doesn't know the King Arthur, Merlin, and Morgana LeFey story. I remember hearing about the Moragan once, witches with an unbelievable power to kill armies of men in a single thought. They were legends, folktales I'd hear." I paused. "Merlin's story was always a favorite of mine. After I lost everything, a part of me wondered if I really did possess magic like everyone believed, it would make my life easier. At first, it was a thought of revenge, but then maybe I could use it to help them understand, maybe be accepted again." I put my head down. "Maybe my mother would love me again."

Ashley didn't say anything for a minute, she just looked out at New City. She seemed to hesitate for a second before she reached over and patted my shoulder once.

"I can't imagine that." I looked at her and she was actually smiling at me. "Look, my mom's going to say the same thing, but you know you can stay here for as long as you want, right?"

"Yeah, I appreciate it, but I don't stay places long. The longer you stay somewhere the easier it is to be tracked."

Now Ashley looked at me oddly.

"Tracked? You mean like last night." I didn't answer "Kid come on, you know you're safe here, right?" She paused. "I mean you've seen the defenses Henry has."

"No one is ever truly safe, anywhere. Even in their own home. Evil has a way of finding you, ignorance, death, cruelty, hatred, pain. You figure that out when you've been around a long time, after the first hundred years you still have a flicker of faith that there is a such thing as a safe place, I mean Dr. Magnus probably knows that much."

"And after?"

I put my head down.

"Right around the one hundred and ninety mark you start feeling less safe and more alone, you brush it off as loneliness and still hold out the hope that maybe you'll feel like you did when you were a kid. And by the time you're two hundred you've become a bitter recluse like myself. I haven't felt completely safe and home in over four hundred years and being here in this place isn't going to change that. A few days are all I feel safe with." I lowered my voice staring out at the city lights, wondering if I had said too much.

"You know about the Cabal, you know it was them who were following you, don't you?" I didn't say anything for a second before I nodded. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I…I wasn't planning on staying here…I figured let your mom study me then in a few days I will be gone, and I won't bring them to you guys. I can hide, especially now that I know they're after me."

"So when they were chasing you-"

"I kind of made them a little angry."

Ashley put up her hand.

"Five hundred years you've been on your own right?"

"Yeah, for the most part."

"How about just giving home a try, maybe it won't be as bad as you think."

"And just forget about my arch nemesis?"

Ashley hopped off the stone ledge and held out her hand. I eyed it suspiciously.

"Let's see what my mom has to say, I think we might have an answer for even that."

XXXX

"I don't know how they got me. I'm not trusting; I wouldn't have just gone with someone," I explained. Ashley had dragged me back to Dr. Magnus's office, Will, Big Guy, Henry, Dr. Magnus and Ashley were all listening intently. I stood in front of the fire. I wasn't keen on telling this story, but Ashley kept nodding, encouraging me. "They must have drugged me with something, 'cause the next thing I know I was in a lab."

"And you don't remember how you got there?" The Big Guy asked I shook my head

"I've been remembering flashes since yesterday, hazy and scattered. They must have given me less of whatever I was drugged with. My healing ability also works with things in my bloodstream, it takes a strong dose to really affect me and as soon as it's taken away, my body starts to heal itself from the inside. They laxed on their security too, it was really easy for me to escape. I didn't get very far though…managed to knock one of the scientist guys out first." I paused and looked into the fire.

"Trev?" Magnus asked

"There was a lady…I don't remember why exactly, but the sound of her heels on the tile floor made my blood run cold. When I was nabbed again after my escape attempt she came up to me, looked me square in the face and told me I was their property now, that I was too valuable to lose, and that that was my home now." I looked down at my hands. "Look I'm sorry I wasn't truthful when you first asked me. I don't trust easy for obvious reasons and I didn't want to put you in danger."

"Danger?" Henry asked.

"These people were angry when I escaped the first time and all I did then was knock one of their doctors unconscious. The second escape? I killed two of their own and managed to get away. I don't know why me, I don't know if they know about my healing ability, or worse, my real age, but they wanted me for a reason, and I'm afraid they won't stop until they get me back." I reached into my pocket and felt the tag I had ripped off my backpack. I don't know why I kept it, something inside me told me not to lose it. "This was on my bag when I found it." I handed it to Dr. Magnus, she studied it for a moment reading the abbreviations carefully.

"Travis. Abn. Imm S vm." She read it aloud.

"I don't know how they knew that was my name and I can't figure out the letters."

Dr. Magnus wrote the words down on a piece of paper and handed it to Henry

"I can run an anagram type search, different word puzzlers see if I can find figure it out," Henry suggested

"Actually, I think it's easier then we think; we may be over thinking this," Will spoke up as he took the tag from Henry. He held it up for everyone to see "Abn? Who's to say that isn't short hand for Abnormal?"

I felt my stomach drop as I followed it to the couch in between Dr. Magnus and Ashley.

"Imm," I stuttered, "Immortal, they think I'm immortal."

Will exchanged a glance with Dr. Magnus.

"Right." He said handing the tag back to Dr. Magnus

"But what about the S vm?" I paused "Wait if I'm an abnormal, you said I was a vampire right, what did you call them, a sesame vampire?"

"Sanguine Vampiris," she corrected.

"S vm." Henry replied amazed, "Makes sense."

Dr. Magnus nodded at her techie before looking back at me.

"And Trev you have to understand if this is the case you are only half, you have human genes as well as vampire."

"So I'm a blood sucking mutt as well as a freak?" I replied running my hands through my hair. I felt sick.

"No Trev, that is not true, you are not a bloodsucking mutt nor are you a freak." Magnus reprimanded gently. "You are an abnormal and that is not something to be ashamed of regardless of what your genes have to say." She paused and took my hand, I flinched at first, but let her hold it. "In the morning you and I will spend some time in the library, I have a few items in there that might be of interest to you."

I nodded, not really sure if her offer was something I wanted to take or not. At this point, my brain was in overload, it along with the rest of my body was exhausted and I just wanted to sleep, I didn't care where my body was shutting down.

"Magnus," the Big Guy gruffed, "he's exhausted."

"Or stunned," Ashley replied she leaned over and looked me straight in the eyes, "Trev, are you okay."

I didn't answer her, I felt like I had left my body, my exhausted and worn down body, and was watching from afar. I've never felt this sensation before and I wondered for a moment, was it really because I was tired or was it, in fact, my comfort level, did I feel ultimately safe here, did I trust Dr. Magnus and the others to the point where I was actually falling asleep in front of them?

As if to answer this question, I felt hairy hands under my arms as the big guy lifted me up. He swung me onto his back, and positioned me so my arms were securely under his neck. And instead of fighting him or struggling like I normally would've done, I let him. Quickly I blinked, my mind waking up for a brief moment. I looked at Dr. Magnus and she smiled gently at me as the Big Guy started to carry me to the office door.

"Wait," I called softly, he looked at me and grunted, "I can walk, thank you though." Giving me a small smile Biggie lowered me to the floor and patted my shoulder. I looked at the group before me, taking a deep breath. I've never been as truthful with anyone as I was about to be with them and I had no idea why I felt so comfortable. Why this sanctuary place truly felt like home. "I've gone by a lot of names in my lifetime, one name that works in one century or one place doesn't necessarily work in another. I've gone through so many sometimes I forget what my real name is."

"It's not Trev?" Will asked and I shook my head.

"No it's not. Sometimes I have to say it aloud, just to remind myself what it was, what my…my mother named me, I can honestly tell you I don't know if I ever had a last name—a real one I mean, but—" I paused, "it's Tavish, my real name is Tavish."

Magnus smiled warmly at me, she exchanged a look with the others, stood up and didn't hesitate to hug me tight. I was stunned for a moment. It's been centuries since I was last hugged like this. I didn't know, didn't remember at first how to react and slowly I returned the hug.

"Get some sleep Tavish, you and I will spend tomorrow together." She paused, "and please remember, you are safe here, no matter what the Cabal threatens we will protect you."

I felt like a knife had stabbed me through the heart, and I can honestly say I have felt that. How valuable was I to the Cabal, who would they take out to get to me? Ashley said that they attacked the Sanctuary to get to the three women. Would they attack to get me, was I really putting the Sanctuary in danger by staying here?

"Bed, now!" The Big Guy rumbled lifting me up, this was also something I wasn't used to. I mean being my size you get used to being manhandled and picked up, but usually when that happened I'm getting thrown out of something or thrown into something. But Biggie was gentle as he lifted me up and carried me down the hall.


	5. Chapter 5

My nightmares have never been easy to handle, they've always been terrifying, brutal, very real, and the smell of death, and in most cases a nightly occurrence, in many realities they match how my life has always been.

After how well I slept my first night at the Sanctuary, I probably let my guard down and since I couldn't remember the last week or so, I've been spoiled, no nightmares. So I shouldn't have been surprised that they came back with a vengeance…

I was back in London, it was night, but the streets were still crowded with men and women out for a stroll. I wasn't in the back alleys I liked to stick to, I was in the upper-class districts, risky, but easy pickings.

A chap could make twice his normal take with just one of these rich bastards. I scanned the streets, something in my mind tried to remind me that this was a dream. I had lived this moment before and it was in the past, but I couldn't for the life of me remember the outcome or why I was dreaming it in the first place…and, of course, I had no control over my actions. I was watching this unfold, seeing and living the moment, but I was not in charge of the situation I was meant to watch and witness.

I found my mark easy enough, a middle age fool with his timepiece and purse exposed for the world to see, that timepiece alone would fetch enough for me to eat like a king for a week, maybe even buy myself some new threads and who knew how much was in that purse.

I moved closer, staying as inconspicuous as possible, no matter where I am I've always been good at blending in. One nudge, I'd have all I needed and I could bolt down the nearby alleyway. I was five steps behind him, getting ready to make my move when suddenly he turned and came at me with a cane.

"You thieving little bastard!" He shouted swinging the cane at my head. I ducked and hit the cobblestone with a yelp.

"I didn't do nothing!" I cried, "I was jus' walkin'!"

"You were going to pick my pocket, you little low-life." He swung the cane down at my head and I rolled to the side, for once in my life my reflexes failed me and the cane's silver handle hit my head. I felt blood dripping down my face.

"I wasn't!"

He moved to hit me again and I knew I couldn't avoid it, I was seeing double and felt woozy. I braced myself for the coming blow when a voice called out for him to stop.

"Sir, what are you doing!" It was a girl, a few years older than my apparent age, but not by much.

"Mind your own business, girl."

"I beg your pardon sir," Now a man's voice entered the scene, his voice was gruff and I heard his shoes shuffle on the cobblestone and he stopped in front of me.

I blinked and looked, trying to focus my vision, he was blocking my attacker from me. I felt hands on my arms and looked up. It was the girl who had stopped the whole attack, she was kneeling next to me and holding a cloth to my head, more surprisingly, she was protecting me.

"This street rat was about to pick my pocket." The man defended himself.

"You attacked the boy under the assumption he was to pick your pockets?" the man in front of me asked, surprised.

"Well, look at him, he obviously does not belong here and is clearly up to no good, what else am I to do, stand here and let my pocket be picked?"

Suddenly a bobby appeared, I recognized the uniform and the walk immediately, as if this night couldn't get any worse. I've had run-ins with coppers quite often, to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if they recognized me and just threw me right into Bailey.

"Here, here, what is going on!" the copper asked.

"Sir, my name is Dr. Gregory Magnus, I was returning home with my daughter when we spotted this fellow," he gestured to my attacker, "turn around and attack this boy with his cane."

"That a fact?" the bobby said looking at my attacker for an explanation.

"The boy is a pickpocket, I was simply defending myself."

The copper looked at me and pulled me to my feet, the girl started to protest, but her father held her back.

"Turn out your pockets laddie and off with your hat."

Slowly I did as he asked, my head was pounding and it was taking a long time for my head to heal, the wound must have been deeper then I thought.

Luckily for me, all my pickings from the morning were safely stored at my—for lack of a better word—hideout and this was supposed to be my first pick of the night, so I had absolutely nothing on me that could be considered stolen goods.

"I was just headin' home, sir, I wasn't following this gentleman, 'tisn't safe to be on the streets of London alone anymore. I was stickin' close to him because I was a bit frightened, someone had been following me a few streets back and when I saw this gentleman, especially with his cane I thought might be safer."

There'd been about a dozen or so kidnappings and murders in London in just the last week or so, so my "fear" was completely founded. And the copper seemed to understand that, he nodded and looked at my attacker.

"The boy has a point, sir, I do not think he was maliciously following you, I should bring you in myself for assaulting the lad."

"It is fine, officer," I spoke up, "I probably frightened him like someone frightened me. No harm was done."

Of course, we both knew that was untrue, the upstanding member of London's higher class knew what I was and my intentions, and had every right to attack me, the man glared at me with such hatred I thought he would kill me on the spot.

"Well, off with you now, evening, gentlemen, miss." The copper said, tipping his hat as he finally walked off, and with one more glare, the gentleman did too, keeping me in his sight as he turned down a side street.

I looked up at Dr. Magnus and nodded my thanks.

"Why don't you come home with us lad, get cleaned up."

I started to thank him and accept his offer when suddenly I felt everything around me blur together, I wasn't on the streets of London anymore.

I was in New City, in the back alleys surrounded by homeless men and women, but of course, I didn't feel uncomfortable. I knew these people and they me. The streets typically have their own codes of conduct and kids are usually number one priority, most of the homeless would rather us street kids not be there for our own sake, but they will care for and look after those of us who would rather stay on the streets.

One of my favorite people was Ol' Luke, who could have left the streets years ago, but for some reason, he stayed. He's the ruler of this part of New City, the king if you will, no one remembers when Luke took over, not even Luke himself. But he's not a dictator, he takes care of everyone in his "kingdom."

"Trev," Luke exclaimed, catching my attention, "Long time youngy. Where you been?"

"Around Luke, CPS was raiding not far, Mary gave me a heads up to vanish for a while." Like with London, my words came out even though I remembered saying them, I felt as if I had said them at a different time than I remembered. I didn't remember this conversation taking place in the last week or so.

I knew Luke, of course, and the woman I mentioned, Mary an older woman who had been on the streets as long as Luke had, but I couldn't remember seeing them recently. The last time I had a memory of actually seeing Luke had been months ago not days, but I... I felt my stomach drop, I had no recollection of how long I had been held by the Cabal, could it really have been more than the days I thought could I really have been drugged for months and not know it?

"I love ya like my own grandson Trev, but didja ever consider lettin' 'em catching ya? I mean yar'e young enough, you can get adopted make something for yarself, when was the last time you was in a classroom?"

I grinned, if he only knew the real answer to that question, he'd drop dead.

"I got enough of a learning Luke, streetwise, it's all I need, I ain't never going to grow up to be president or something."

Ol' Luke patted my head and chuckled

"Your usual spot is good,"

I grinned and nodded. I was thankful that Ol' Luke had protected my spot, he acts gruff and cold, but that's all it is, an act, he's a nice old guy who really reminds me of my grandfather, what I remember of him anyways.

"Thanks, Luke," I replied as I started to walk off

"Trev, hold up a sec," Luke put a hand on my shoulder gently and leaned in close. "Stick close to Mary tonight okay son?"

I raised an eyebrow, unable to hide my confusion. Being a street kid you're used to certain dictations of the streets, certain rules, and codes of conduct, one of the main things is no one is going to coddle you. The older streets will look out for us, but we make the decision to stay here, as opposed to foster care or whatever hell we ran away from. We receive no babying.

"Huh?" I asked

"There's been some odd folks been hanging 'round here asking questions. Been paying much to special attention to the kids. I don't trust 'em."

"DCF?"

Luke shrugged

"Mayhab so, don't look like any busybodies I've seen round these parts. The way they

move and be questioning, real efficient like, real-"

"Military?" I finished and Luke nodded

"Yessirre, Military like."

CPS IE Child Protective Services is easy enough to avoid if you know how and believe me I know how, but military goon squads aren't so easy to avoid. It made no sense why any military would be wandering skid row, less, of course, they were really looking for someone, a kid though, it made even less sense. I had to trust Luke though if he thought there was a reason to be concerned then damn it I better be concerned.

"Thanks, Luke I replied

"Anytime Trev. Gots to keep you younguns safe, no matter how foolish y'all are."

I grinned at that and waved Luke back, heading for my spot, he gave me a gentle shove and headed for his own area

Its kind of scary that I have a 'usual spot' on the streets, it is a good one though. A small enclosed vent like structure that sits about four feet or so from the ground level, there's an old fan in the side that doesn't work anymore, its rusted solid, but through the vent blows warm air every once in a while at night. Even during the summer, nights can be pretty cold on the streets, so any heat is welcome.

My spot, in addition to being warm, is also pretty tight, you have to be my size or smaller to squeeze into the opening and space I actually sleep in isn't much bigger, I have to sleep curled up, which believe it or not is actually how I tend to sleep. Don't ask me why, but I love being in tight spaces when I sleep, I've never understood why and I've never questioned it.

There's also another good thing to my spot, its location. Mary sleeps in between two dumpsters, right near my spot. She's a sweet woman in her late fifties who does whatever she can to help anyone less fortunate than she considers herself, whether its dragging someone who can't afford to skip meals to a soup kitchen or giving someone an extra blanket she has but really can't spare. She's not very big, but she makes up for it in heart and certainly attitude. I've seen her chase down a guy who stole a woman's purse and tackle him to the ground; he never knew what hit him.

Mary has also claimed to be my grandmother and godmother on many occasions when CPS or other what Luke calls busybodies to come prying, looking for runaways. I can also count on Mary to cover for me, I can't be sure, but I think she's kind of adopted me, she always seems to take extra care of me, and even though I really don't need it, I feel bad turning her away.

Anyways, I waved hi to Mary as I climbed into my spot. The vent was calm for now, giving me a chance to bunker down for the night, I used my bag as a pillow and my jacket as a blanket, once that vent kicked in it be cozy in my spot a good night sleep I hadn't had since the last time I was in New City.

A tapping on the metal caught my attention and for a second my heart jumped, Luke's warning playing fresh in my mind. I've dealt with CPS enough times to handle them, but its never a fun experience.

"Teddy?" a soft voice called and I sighed with relief, grinning. Mary is the only one who calls me Teddy, it was a name I'd used decades ago, but when Luke was introducing me a year or so back to all the other homeless, Mary thought Luke called me Ted and thus Teddy stuck. I don't mind, out of all the names I've used in my long lifetime, Theodore was one of my favorites, because I took it after President Roosevelt a guy I really admired at the time and still do to this day.

"Hi Mary," I replied climbing out of my vent so I could speak to her properly. In her hand was an army blanket, I looked at it and looked back at her, shaking my head "no Mary you keep that tonight, I'm good, I've got my jacket, the vent should be kicking on soon and its warm out tonight."

"Extra padding Teddy," she insisted and I sighed, one thing you learn pretty quick about Mary is that you don't say no to her, so reluctantly I took the blanket, she tussled my hair and kissed the top of my head. "good choice Teddy." She paused her face turning serious "Luke told you about the recent visitors?"

I nodded

"Yeah, he told me, didn't sound like CPS Mary, sounded like the military, to be honest, probably just some idiots looking for trouble," I added trying to reassure her.

"If you need anything, Teddy, call me okay? Anything, I'll keep an ear out for you and if anyone comes up to you tonight, I don't care if they're asking for directions, you give a shout and I'll deal with them."

I tried to picture Mary taking on some guy in camo gear and it was pretty hilarious, she could take 'em on and whoop 'em easily, even though many underestimate her.

"I will, thanks, Mary. Night."

She patted my head and headed back to her own spot, leaving me to mine. I crawled back in and added the extra blanket to sleep on top of, it did make the spot a lot more comfortable, tough I felt guilty taking it from Mary who could've used it with her back pain, but even sneaking it back to her was dangerous, I've had my ears boxed by Mary for doing stupid stuff and that was not high on my list of stuff to do tonight.

So instead, I settled down in my spot, I felt my eyes getting heavy as I slowly began to drift off to sleep. I woke up quickly though, having only slept for what felt like minutes, there was a soft knocking on the metal, thinking it was Mary again I slid out carefully.

No sooner had my feet hit the ground; when I felt a hand on my mouth, someone was picking me up, but I couldn't scream or call for help, the hand tightened over my mouth, preventing me from calling out. They were also inadvertently cutting off my air supply. I began struggling and kicking, doing all I could to free myself.

I've been grabbed like this before and nine times out of ten, I've gotten away from my captor. But whoever had me was strong and determined, they weren't giving up and I was tiring fast, the limited oxygen was making me weaker, I wasn't struggling as much as they carried me away from my safety.

I watched in horror as someone reached into the vent and pulled out my backpack, leaving behind my jacket and the blanket from Mary…

Mary, if only I could call out to Mary, she'd have every homeless in a mile stretch here in moments and they could help me, but of course, I could call out, I managed to get a small

"Help" squeaked out, before the hand clenched my face tighter, their fingers digging deep into my flesh.

Behind me, I heard a van door slide open and I was carried closer to the source of that sound. I tried struggling more, but it was useless, my captor was stronger than me, I wasn't going to get away easily I felt myself being lifted up higher, then suddenly we came crashing down, my captor and me together into the back of the van.

The door slammed shut and the van started to drive away. Through the back window, I could see a figure emerging from between the dumpsters, it was Mary, realizing just to late what was happening, her figure grew smaller and smaller, then vanished as we turned a corner...

I cried out as my hands were forced behind my back and I felt zip ties tighten around my small wrists, cutting into them and the hand came away from my mouth.

"Shut it freak," a harsh voice hissed in my ear

"Go to Hell!" I shouted, regretting it instantly as a foot came down on top of my shoulder hard.

"Oh wait kid, you'll know Hell soon enough."

I tried to kick anyone, I didn't care who I hit, I just wanted the satisfaction of kicking someone. No sooner did my worn sneaker collide with a body, I felt another kick to my shoulder, followed by a sharp pinch in the back of my neck…it took only seconds for me to black out completely, a voice echoing in my mind telling me "you belong to us now."

xxx


	6. Chapter 6

I hadn't realized this was a dream, it had felt so real as the dream progressed. I didn't even realize I'd been asleep, even after I had woken up from my own screams of pain and fear.

The pillow was soaked in sweat and tears as I cling to the blanket breathing heavy. I felt a weight on my chest like something was sitting on it and it was difficult to breathe properly. I couldn't help the tears that were still streaming down my face, though I don't know why I was crying, I hadn't in a long time and there was no reason now, it was simply a nightmare that's all a bloody nightmare, no reason to cry like a baby.

But there was another part of me that feared that it wasn't a simple nightmare, that it was not only real but a memory of recent events.

However, I didn't have time to contemplate it further as the room filled with light and someone was holding me tight, rocking me.

At first I thought I was still dreaming, after all, I couldn't figure out where I was, nothing looked familiar, where the hell was I? If I didn't know any better I'd swear it was my mother, I had a quick flashback of her, then shook my head, my mother was dead, long dead and considering she tried to kill me, I don't really think we were on a mother/son relationship at that point.

I tensed and tried to get away from them, after my "dreams" and a slow process of remembering where I was, my instinct to flee was taking over, but whoever held me stood their ground and only held me tighter. They began humming softly; humming a familiar tune that began to calm me down and I accepted defeat, allowing the person to try and soothe me.

It took me a few seconds to realize that it was Dr. Magnus; she must have heard my shouts of terror and come running. I had to admit, she was motherly and she definitely cared about me. But when you go nearly five lifetimes without anyone who deeply cares for you and wants to look after you, it's tough to get used to that again, especially when that person is still a perfect stranger.

"Tavish?" I flinched when she said my name, and then relaxed a bit as she held me tighter "darling what's wrong?"

"Just a bad dream," I admitted, "I get them from time to time. I apologize if I worried you, Dr. Magnus. I didn't wake you did I?"

"No, I am usually up long after the witching hour, not to mention, it's nearly six in the morning." She replied she let me go giving me some space, but she wasn't leaving me completely alone, she wanted to make sure I was okay, which I appreciated, I just wasn't sure how to respond.

"Oh, okay," I said softly, not sure where to go from there; I was so out of my element it wasn't funny.

"Tavish, I could go for a spot of tea, would you care to join me?" At first, I wanted to say no, try to go back to sleep and put my nightmare behind me, then again I wasn't looking forward to returning to those nightmares either. I wasn't in the mood for tea though. Dr. Magnus seemed to read my mind and smiled "does hot cocoa seem more your fancy at this hour?"

I couldn't help my grin as I nodded, better than going back to my nightmares. So I followed Dr. Magnus down the halls of the Sanctuary.

I wondered if I would stick around here long enough to learn the layout of this place, I was fascinated by its sheer size and set up. I've got a pretty good sense of direction, it's something I've developed and perfected over the years, you have to when you live on the streets and are well…a five-hundred-year-old kid.

In the kitchen, Dr. Magnus put a kettle on for her tea and put on a saucepan on the stove melting a couple of chocolate bars with some milk. She wasn't making hot chocolate with the powder stuff, she was making the real stuff.

While our late night drinks simmered on the stove, Dr. Magnus and I sat at the table, she put out a plate of Oreo cookies in front of me and gently pushed it to me. I hesitated, but gave in and reached for a cookie.

"Thank you," I mumbled around the creamy filling, I love Oreo cookies, I have since they first hit store shelves, when you never know where your next meal is coming from, you tend to not be picky about what you eat, but anytime I can get my hands on an Oreo, I'm in seventh heaven. I wondered if Dr. Magnus knew these were my favorite or it was just a coincidence that these were what she pulled out for me.

"You are most welcome," she paused "would you like to talk about your nightmares?"

I sighed, not particularly I thought grabbing another cookie, but Dr. Magnus looked so sincere and so caring, I couldn't help but pour my soul out to her, sorta. So I told her, I told her every creepy detail of the two nightmares, with one difference, I went backward. I told her about the more recent dream first, my capture.

I wanted to move onto the other dream at a slower pace because I wasn't sure if that had been entirely true, I've got a pretty elaborate imagination, I wouldn't put it past myself to imagine the entire scene with a young Dr. Magnus and her father in 19th century London.

When I reached the end of the last dream I hesitated again, Dr. Magnus seemed stunned, saddened, and angry at the same time, obviously not at me, but at the idea that I was not only kidnapped but that I was so at home on the streets.

The kettle began to whistle singling that the tea was ready as was my hot cocoa. I sat there staring at my cup as Dr. Magnus sipped her tea, the tension in the room was so thick I could feel it all around me.

I really wasn't sure if I should even go on, the whole kidnapping thing, I know that wasn't a dream, that was my mind filling in the memories that the CABAL or whatever they are had tried to steal away from me.

The part about London, that confused the hell out of me, that couldn't be real, I mean what are the odds that I would meet Dr. Magnus then, and then meet her again now. I've got hundreds of years worth of memories floating around my mind, it's nearly impossible to keep them all in check and remember what is real and what is just what I wish was real, that's what I thought this was, that I wanted to have a connection with another person so badly that I created this ridiculous scenario.

Dr. Magnus reached forward and took hold of my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, before rubbing it. That one gesture was all I needed to proceed. I told her the dream about London, I left out the names, I wanted to see her reaction to the story first, see if she remembered the event as well. She had been a child then, but then again, so was I for all intensive purposes, we were the same age that night in London and she had protected me; her and her father.

At first, Dr. Magnus didn't say a word she simply sat there and listened to my story, her face unchanging throughout. When I told her how the dream cut off right then, dissolving to what I thought was only a week prior (I was seriously beginning to wonder if it was, in fact, months ago that the CABAL had kidnapped me), she nodded slowly, her grip on my hand tightening every once in a while.

"That's all," I replied softly, using my free hand to push my unruly mop of hair back out of my face.

"Tavish, you said you believe that both of these dreams are linked to actual events in your life?" I nodded my answer to her question "and the latter one it seems is forgotten memory?" again I nodded, "how much of that particular dream do you actually remember occurring?"

I shrugged

"I remember bits and pieces, but honestly Dr. Magnus that could have been any night in my lifetime, especially in 19th century London, it was either the streets or the work house for me back then, I didn't fancy either, but especially not the workhouse."

"Do you remember the date?"

It was all I could do to not burst out laughing. I was lucky most of the time to know what year it was, let alone the date. But I had to be polite, so I shook my head,

"no, I don't worry." I paused "but I do remember names."

"Names?" Dr. Magnus asked I stared into my cup of cocoa, wishing it could tell the story for me.

"The two that saved me from having my head bashed in, the father and daughter." I paused again "man you're going to think I'm either crazy or making this up, the guy's name, the gentleman I should say, his name was Dr. Gregory Magnus." I took a deep breath "I think the little girl was you."

Dr. Magnus didn't say anything for a minute or two, she was clearly stunned, not only that but she was trying to study my face. Had I not mentioned her father's name I think my case would've been harder to prove, I've had to lie to survive most of my life, I've been told I've got a liars face, it certainly wouldn't be the first time someone didn't believe me.

Instead of questioning me, Dr. Magnus tightened her grip on my hand and stood up, gently pulling me with her.

Inside her office, she went to her desk and pulled out a very thick book. I could see newspaper clippings sticking out of it and it made me curious as to what it held.

"Tavish, please sit down." It wasn't a suggestion and in the back of my mind, I started running through exit strategies, it's instinct for me and that instinct has helped me survive. I slowly sat down, keeping my attention on the different doors, knowing which one would provide me with the quickest exit.

"I swear I don't remember it happening, I'm just telling you what I dreamed, I'm sorry." I offered, keeping my voice calm.

"Tavish, I'm not angry and I do believe you, there isn't a lot that stands out in my childhood, but I do remember that night."

I stared at her in disbelief, wondering for a second if she was humoring me.

"Right," I replied

"No, darling I do, father insisted that you come home with us, you stayed long enough to have some supper before you vanished, without a word."

I felt my mind going to work, filling in the blanks of where the dream had left off and I did remember a little bit.

"Sorry," I said, shrugging I didn't know what else to say and it seemed silly to be apologizing for something that happened over a hundred years ago, even more so since I didn't remember the said event.

"Tavish, that is not the reason I brought you into my office, what you told me sparked something in my memory and I was wondering if I was to say certain dates to you, would you be able to tell me where you were?"

I shrugged

"I can try, I don't understand why though."

"Humor me, please?"

I nodded. She began reeling off dates, specific days, years, months. None of it seemed significant to me, we moved from the late 1800s into the 1900s, I didn't understand what these dates meant. Some of the years had more days then another, 1899, for instance, she really seemed fixated on, asking day after day for that year.

Every time I spoke telling her as much as I could remember about where I was on those dates, she wrote on a piece of paper, before checking with a notation made in a very old looking journal. I wasn't entirely sure why these dates were significant, but I was doing as Dr. Magnus had said, I was humoring her.

Then we reached 1912 a pretty significant date in history, but it was just another year for me, except in April, one of the only times in my life that led to me mistrusting my instincts for a few years. I should've ignored my mind telling me to get on that damn ship, but me being an idiot, I listened to it.

I did some odd jobs around Southampton and pick-pocketed the rest of the money needed to get me a ticket in steerage for the Titanic and it was one of the stupidest things I have done in my five hundred years of life, and that's saying something.

So when Dr. Magnus mentioned the date the Titanic set sail, my face contorted into a look of annoyance, completely on instinct, I was not making the face at Dr. Magnus, but rather the memory of that few days on board the doomed ocean liner.

"Tavish?" Dr. Magnus asked, clearly seeing my annoyance

"Bad memories that's all."

"April 14th, 1912?"

"Stupid Titanic, I don't know why I was onboard, to begin with, something just told me I needed to get to New York ASAP and the Titanic was my fastest option. I knew I should've waited a few days and taken the other ship."

Dr. Magnus was staring at me in disbelief

"Did you make it to a lifeboat?" she asked, it was kind of a silly question, we both clearly knew I somehow made it to a lifeboat, but I think her question was more directed to before the ship went down.

"I was in steerage, but I'm small, I actually managed to get make my way up to the upper decks. All the boats were gone by the time I got up there. Everyone up there was panicking, I mean rightly so nearly all of them were going to die and they knew it." I put my head down "I can't swim very well, it's funny huh? I mean five hundred years old or so and I never really learned to swim, never needed too." I paused "could've used it that night though."

"So what happened?"

"I stayed on as long as I thought I could. I was just about say: 'the hell with it' and take my chances in the water when this old guy came up to me. He put his hand on my shoulder and stopped me from jumping like he could read my mind. He told me I'd never make it without a lifebelt and he gave up his. I tried to refuse, but he wouldn't take no for an answer, he literally forced the belt on me. He stayed with me, at the stern of the ship until it really became noticeable that it was going to nosedive, he held onto me, his arm around my shoulders. A couple of rich buggers tried to pull the belt off of me, saying something about a little worthless steerage urchin shouldn't have better odds than someone of their pedigree. The old guy actually threatened to shoot them if they put a hand on me, he had a gun hidden in his cane and waved it at them. They were so scared they jumped into the water, I don't think either of them survived the jump. When the ship started to go up, he held onto me, helping me over the railing, he never once let go of my arm. It was like he was protecting me." I paused "I don't remember much after the ship went down. I'm pretty sure I imagined it, but a few months later when I'd think back, I have no idea how I managed to get back to the surface, the suction should've pulled me right down with the ship even with the lifebelt on."

"How do you think you did?"

I heh'd a little

"To be honest? I think the old guy threw me far enough away from the suction before the ship went completely under, it seemed impossible at the time and I put in out of my mind. Now that I'm thinking of it, here after everything I've seen. I'm very sure he did something to get me away from the main suction, I just don't remember what."

"What do you remember?"

"Not much, I remember how cold the water was, I remember wondering if it was possible for me to freeze to death and if so, what would happen when I healed from that." I paused "I'm pretty sure I passed out or something, cause the next thing I remember, I'm in a lifeboat, two women are taking turns cradling me close, they've got me wrapped in blankets and a fur coat. They rubbed my arms, trying to warm me up as best they could. I don't remember their faces, but I do remember one of them had a strong smell of perfume, I don't think she'd touched the water, but the other woman, she definitely had been in the water. I could smell the salt water, and her hair, it kept brushing against my face and it was stung a little, it shouldn't have though, I mean I was frozen, I don't know why I remember that part."

"What happened after the Carpathia arrived?"

I coughed, trying to suppress a scoff. It wasn't directed at Dr. Magnus of course, but the treatment I received, what a few of us received after the ordeal we had all gone through.

"They got us all on deck, of course, most of the first class passengers had survived and most had papers and documents, and some even had their dogs. Those who were clearly first and second class passengers were whisked away to the upper decks to be cared for. The two women, I still can't remember their faces, but I clearly remember both of them holding onto me tight, neither wanted to let go of me as the crew member forced us apart. I was obviously third class if not lower and was sent to be with my kind. I never saw the two ladies again. As soon as we docked in New York, the handful of us kids who had lost our parents or were to young to tell anyone much information, we were processed at Elis Island and brought to the island orphanage until it could be determined where we belonged. The surviving crew members of the Titanic had the ships manifest and were going through passenger names matching each kid to the name. There were about fifteen kids that were sent back, no choice in the matter, the New York orphanages refused to take them and they had no family meeting them. I was supposed to be one of those kids, but I slipped off the island and made a break for it into the city. I'm good at making myself scarce. I did regret not finding either of the two ladies who kept me warm to thank them, and I always wondered what happened to the old guy who saved me in the first place. I never knew any of their names; I never got the chance to thank them."

Dr. Magnus had the same look on her face from earlier, when I had mentioned her father's name a mix of surprise and even confusion.

She was just about to tell me something when a loud knocking pounded on her door.

"Doc!" Henry shouted

"Come in Henry," Dr. Magnus replied, sighing, Henry came rushing in, he looked out of breath and was holding some wiring in his hand. "Yes Henry?"

"Oh, sorry Doc," he replied grinning "I was wondering if you'd seen-" then Henry spotted me "Hah! The kid! I was wondering, can I borrow Trev for a second?"

I kind of grinned a little, despite telling everyone my real name, Henry insisted on calling me Trev or Kid, I had a feeling both were nicknames I wouldn't be losing any time soon.

"What again do you need Tavish for?"

"I was doing some rewiring in the habitats and I thought he'd be the perfect assistant." Henry paused and looked right at me hopefully "what do you say Trev? You up for helping a guy out?"

I shrugged

"Sure I guess so."

"Excellent, how do you feel about small spaces?"

Now I raised my eyebrow and looked over at Dr. Magnus, she clearly wanted to finish our conversation, but I felt I had told enough for the day. I'm not the kind of person who spills their heart and soul out to people, I have to keep my secrets at least some of them to myself to protect myself, I had shared my comfort level for the day. She seemed to realize that as well and nodded.

"Small spaces?" I asked

"You'll see, I promise nothing dangerous nothing death-defying." Henry slung an arm around my shoulder and guided me to the door.

I glanced back at Dr. Magnus, she smiled at me gently and I took a deep breath, I really hoped I wasn't getting too comfortable in this place; it would only make things tougher when I did finally leave. I also had to think something else over, clearly Dr. Magnus knew something, she wanted to tell me something before Henry had come knocking, I wondered for a second did it have something to do with our meeting in London over a hundred and fifty years ago, or was it something else, something to do with the Titanic?


	7. Chapter 7

                                                                                

 

Turns out Henry hadn't been kidding about the size of the vent, I stared at it for a second before looking at him expectantly.

"You've got to be joking," I said

"It'll be fine," Henry replied as he fixed the strap to the headlamp on me. I knew I must've looked ridiculous, but Henry was nice about the whole thing and didn't laugh once, he did crack a small smile, as he tied a rope around my waist.

"Right, until I run into the world's biggest rat and it tries to eat me."

"You mean Bill? Naw he's harmless, and besides, he's a vegetarian." Henry explained

I stared at him, looking for a hint that he was lying, I've gotten pretty good over the last few hundred years at telling when someone is lying to me, but I had a sinking feeling, Henry wasn't lying about a giant rat named Bill whose a vegetarian.

I'm not a fan of rats, haven't been since the 17th century. London was crawling (no pun intended) with them and I've been attacked by my fair share of 'em. If I didn't heal so quickly, I'd have the scars to prove it. In the 1600s I gave a new profession a try, catching rats for fights, Some of the buyers paid pretty good and at the time I wasn't scared of rats and certainly not scared of tunnels, I'd crawl through London's sewers searching for the rodents, the bigger and meaner the better and I was good at catching those exact ones.

Till I went to Paris to try the same thing, the need for rat catchers for fighting was in just as much high demand as in London, so me being an idiot I went into the catacombs and promptly got lost. I've got a pretty good sense of direction now, but back then I was still young, young, stupid, and cocky.

I was so sure of myself that I didn't stop to think about what I was doing. I stumbled into a large nest of rats and figured I'd hit the jackpot, as soon as I caught a good amount I'd figure out how to get out. That didn't go as well as I planned, stupid rats attacked me, and I fell through a weak part in the wall.

I learned that time around that it was possible for me to die and of course revive from pretty serious injuries, I'm pretty sure I broke nearly every bone in my body and died from those injuries.

I remember waking up in a pile of water, with a rat about to gnaw on my nose, hence, why I don't like the little buggers anymore.

I shuddered at that memory and Henry raised an eyebrow, he started to ask if I was okay, but I asked my question first, changing the subject.

"So, I just got to go in there and do what exactly?"

"This connects right to the main elevator shaft," Henry explained he handed me a bulb and some copper wiring. "You'll see the old bulb and wiring as soon as you get to the end of the vent all you have to do is replace it. If you get stuck" I narrowed my eyes at Henry "okay my bad, if you get a little nervous, give the rope a tug and I'll start pulling you back." Henry put a small dolly on the floor and gestured to it. "Wheel yourself in and I pull you back piece of cake."

My stomach growled a little at the mention of cake, I was hungry and hadn't realized it until just now. Henry heard my stomach growl and laughed a little

"Sorry," I said

"As soon as you do this kid, I'll have the Big Guy fix you a giant breakfast."

I grinned

"Sounds good to me."

I took a deep breath, knelt down on the board, and started to push myself into the vent. At first, I was fine, it was a little stuffy inside, but wasn't anything I couldn't handle. But the deeper I went in, the more panic started to set in, I was having flashbacks, some recent stuff like my escape from the CABAL, but some older stuff too, like my time trapped in the catacombs.

When you're as old as I am, you have to use whatever you can to survive and unfortunately, one way I had to survive was to emerge myself in the world of stealing. That kind of lifestyle, well it not only attracts some pretty bad people, but it also attracts the authorities.

I've been arrested and thrown in various prisons around the world more times then I'd like to admit too. I'm good at what I do, I'm one of the best pickpockets around, but like I said you attract bad people who screw you over and turn you in, or you take a job that brings so much risk that it's impossible to not get caught.

There was this one job I did in 1922 in Berlin, simply enough, a local watchmaker always left his door unlocked and had hundreds of dollars in jewelry in his shop. It was supposed to be easy, get inside, get as much as I could carry and bolt.

I had a buyer lined up and everything, I was barely inside before the cops were on me in seconds. Someone tipped them off and I never found out who, though I long suspected a friend and fellow pickpocket who wanted the score for himself, I never saw him again and couldn't prove it.

Despite my physical age, they had no problem throwing me in jail to wait for a magistrate, who sentenced me to two years at a labor camp. Yeah, that didn't happen; I escaped the night before the transport. But those two nights in that jail cell was two of the most terrifying nights in my life and considering the life I've led that's saying something.

Rats running around, the god-awful smell, it was freezing in there and so dark, no light was able to penetrate the deep cellar of the jail, the taste of despair hung in the air. Escape had been tough, but I'm not a big guy, I was actually able to wiggle my way out through a crack in the foundation. I've never been good with small dark spaces, not since Paris and that night in 1922, sealed that distaste with total fear.

I barely made it to the end of the vent, before I felt the panic really taking hold. I took a few deep breaths and tried to calm myself down, I had promised Henry I'd help with this job, it shouldn't be this difficult. I had come face to face with Bigfoot, a mermaid, heard that vampires actually exist and I might be related to one, and I had escaped from virtually a mad scientist laboratory, I should be able to handle a vent.

"How's it coming in there?" Henry's voice echoed through the vent, my throat felt dry and I couldn't answer him for a moment, I was definitely having a panic attack, I've had them before, but this was certainly going to be a bad one.

"Nearly done," I replied, my voice shaking and I hoped that Henry couldn't hear the change in my voice.

Quickly and carefully I did what I was sent into the vent to do, I replaced what Henry needed and gave the rope a tug when I was done, so he could wheel me back.

As Henry did so my mind began flashing back again, memories that had been hidden from me began trickling back, I felt dizzy, the room was spinning…

I never felt myself going out, all I know is when I opened my eyes, suddenly I wasn't in a vent in the Sanctuary; I was back in the laboratory.

I was strapped in the chair but I could move a little, as I struggled against the bonds that held me down.

"Oh, look how angry he is," a female voice cooed like she was pretending to be sympathetic but her voice just oozed with pleasure and amusement. "Struggle all you want Tavish, those cuffs are stronger then you'll ever be."

I felt the air move around me as she came closer and into my line of sight, it was the woman whose heels had made my heart skip a beat from fright, the one from the room…this room that I had escaped from, the one from the hall, Whitcomb, Dana maybe, I don't know why I suddenly knew her name.

She reached out to touch my face and I pulled away from her quickly, moving my head as far away as I could, which is to say not very far.

"Don't touch me!" I hissed

"So rude isn't he?" she replied, "now Tavish, that is no way to talk to your new guardians is it?"

Guardians I thought, who the hell is she to call herself my guardian, I'm nearly five hundred years old I take care of myself.

"Go to hell," I answered. Almost instantly I felt her hands on my chin, clutching my face tight, her long nails digging into my skin, I squirmed trying in vain to get away from her. I don't like being touched; it always feels like an electric shock going through my body when someone I don't know touches me, grabbing me or holding me, I don't like it, but there was nothing I could do, I was trapped on this chair. There was just enough wiggle room on the cuff that held my ankle for me to kick out a little and I managed to kick someone, it wasn't her but still made me feel better.

To answer that, she tightened her hold on my face, I could feel her nails puncturing my skin and felt blood dripping down my cheeks and I tried not to cry out or even wince.

Being such a small wound, as soon as she let go of my face, I felt the usual tingling sensation as my body healed itself.

She smiled victoriously and patted the top of my head. Reaching my last resort, I tried to bite her, that seemed to amuse her even more as she actually started to laugh, joined by a few other different laughter, I counted at least four others in this room, I couldn't see them because of the angle they had the chair positioned.

"Hold still Tavish, this will only sting a moment," she said smartly and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a syringe. My eyes went wide and I began struggling more, trying to use all my strength to escape, letting my adrenaline take over, nothing worked.

"Let me go, let me go, no, no" I yelled as loud as I could, this just brought more laughter as I felt the pinch in my arm.

                                                  

Suddenly my body began to feel warm, it started at the injection site before I felt the warmth traveling through my veins and throughout my body. Not only did I feel this warmth, but suddenly I felt numb…I still felt the warmth, but I couldn't move anymore, it was like I had lost control of my body, I couldn't even wiggle my fingers, couldn't move my head…I don't even know how I was still breathing because it felt like my entire body had gone stiff.

"That's better, you were going to hurt yourself with all that wiggling around. So much easier to talk to you this way,"

"what did you do to me?" I asked…I could still talk how the hell was that possible.

"Just made you a little more comfortable, a little more compliant." She answered, I felt her hands, her nails rather once again on my face, but this time there wasn't anything I could do about it, I was not in control of my body at all. Her hand moved from my face down my neck to my bare chest and to my side where her fingers thumbed gently against my ribs. "Amazing." She whispered not really sounding amazed at all.

In my mind, I flinched from her touch, but my body did not follow the order from my brain. The warmth had navigated my entire body, but it was not done with it's task as it moved towards my brain and I suddenly understood what she meant by compliant, I felt like I was in a fog, part of me wanting to fight, but the other part felt relaxed and dazed.

"What…do you want from me?" I asked, that was my voice, but…at the same time it didn't feel like mine.

"I will be asking the questions, Tavis, you will answer them honestly and provide as much information as you are able."

"Yes, ma'am," I replied No, no you idiot, shut up don't answer their questions part of my mind shouted, the compliant part was winning the battle, the part of my conscience that wanted to fight and not answer any questions was not going to win this fight.

"What is your full name?"

"Tavish, I do not have a clan name, I was born in the village of the Cameron Clan… raised as the chieftains son, despite no kinship." My words came out so robotic, but I had no control over them, I couldn't stop myself and believe me I tried.

"What year were you born?"

I had told Dr. Magnus I didn't remember the exact year I was born and in my normal memory I didn't, I didn't remember the clan name or anything like that. The first time I had ever saw something that resembled the Gregorian calendar was in 1607. Whatever concoction that this Whitcomb woman had injected me with was digging deep into my memories, pulling out information that I didn't know existed, information that for whatever reason had been kept from my conscious being.

"1303," I replied what?! That made no sense I was nowhere near that old, how could three hundred years pass and me not realize it…how could I could possibly be seven hundred years old. The wars I could remember, when I was very small I could remember my grandfather and the other men going off to fight, but I never placed who or what the fighting was about… wars and fighting were so normal, it was never anything to give a second thought about.

Had I been alive for the first war of Scottish Independence? I had always believed I was born in a Scotland that was under English rule a hated but accepted practice…could it be possible that I had actually be born to a Scotland that was still desperately fighting to rid itself of the English tyranny when heroes I had read about like Robert the Bruce and William Wallace were alive and fighting for our freedom? Did I actually live in the same century, the same years even as those great men? Was I actually born two hundred years before I had always believed I was?

"How is it you have been alive all these years?"

"I do not know," trapped in my mind I groaned, of all the things to not know the answer too that's the one my mind decided on.

"How is it that a wound to your body heals so quickly?" Ms. Whitcomb asked, I could hear it in her voice, she knew the answer to both those questions and she was asking for the sake of asking,

"I do not know."

I saw her pull out another syringe

"I want him under surveillance at all times. Find a dosage that will keep him sedated as much as possible, have an IV going if you must. I want blood samples from him, as much as is needed. This is one subject we do not need to worry about dying from blood loss."

I wanted to lash out again, I wasn't a science experiment to be poked and prodded, they had no right to keep me here.

I felt a pinch in my arm as the needle pierced my skin. I felt my world going black, the room was fading and then…nothing.

When I opened my eyes I was in the med-lab of the Sanctuary, Dr. Magnus was looking at a machine and Big Guy was sitting next to the bed I was in, reading. I couldn't help the groan as my head pounded. Biggie looked up and put a huge hairy hand on my forehead, I normally would have squirmed away, he still kind of freaked me out, but I actually felt comforted by the gesture.

"Magnus, he's awake," Biggie grunted,

"Tavish are you okay?" Magnus asked joining Big Guy near my bed

"I…er…yeah," I managed to reply

"Henry said you were helping him out and you passed out inside the vent."

I nodded that was the truth

"You do not have fever," Biggie added putting his hand back on my forehead "what happened?"

I took a deep breath, the memory was still fresh in my mind, I understood what was happening. Whatever drugs the CABAL had been using to keep me sedated had messed with my memory, that much I knew beforehand, considering I had a month of missing memories I couldn't account for. The healing ability my body has must have been fighting the drugs for days now, and it finally made a dent in clearing them from my system. Why it had come back in that vent I didn't understand, I also didn't understand why it had caused me to pass out.

Magnus looked at me concerned, as did Big Guy

"M…my memories are coming back," I said softly "and there's something you need to know." I wasn't sure how to tell Dr. Magnus or Biggie, but I owed them the truth and if my memories were coming back, maybe by telling Dr. Magnus and the others, maybe they could help me figure out why the CABAL wanted me in the first place…or better yet, how they knew about me and knew my past, even when I didn't.


	8. Chapter 8

XXX

Dr. Magnus let me tell her as much as I wanted too, she didn't interrupt me and she didn't ask any questions and when I paused she gave me a moment or two to recompose myself and continue.

The big guy had carried me from the hospital wing of the sanctuary back to my room and though I should have felt more comfortable there, the bed which had allowed me such a sound sleep a few nights before was now stiff. I didn't want to be in it, in fact I was sure that the floor would be more comfortable.

I looked at her once I was finished and sighed

"I don't understand any of this, why me…" I mumbled "I've never done anything that wasn't acceptable for the time. I've fought in wars, I have killed, I stolen and scammed people, but it was only to survive. I don't understand why this CABAL wants me, why they erased my memories…And now why all of a sudden it's coming back." I paused "being four hundred years old, that I could handle, that I could even understand, but how can I be seven hundred years old and not remember. I mean even if the drugs that were in my system erased my memory, why would I remember things after the fifteen hundreds, but nothing before that. It makes no sense, no logical sense. Was that memory just something they implanted, something they wanted me to believe, but why would they do that?"

I took a breath trying to calm myself down, recover my thoughts. Dr. Magnus smiled gently at me and took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Tavish I can't answer those questions just yet, but I promise you I will do all I can to get you some answers. One of the ways I can do that is by asking you to trust me."

I nodded

"I think at this point Dr. Magnus, it be wise for me to start trusting again, at least you and the others here."

Magnus nodded

"I would like you to accompany me to London for a few days."

I raised my eyebrow and shifted from her gaze, I hadn't been back in London in years, at least thirty, possibly more. I've avoided it like the plague, the last time I was there I was snatched and put in their equivalent of the foster care system, not a fun place and pretty tough to escape from, even for me. This also brought up another question, how would we be getting there? I knew the answer of course even though it terrified me. Yes I am afraid to fly I've never been on a plane before. I travel by things I can stowaway on, trains easy, boats, perfect, even some buses arent that hard to sneak onto, but planes, especially now a days are nearly impossible to sneak onto, which is one of the reasons I wont fly, the other reason is pretty obvious, it's a hunk of metal flying through the air with the potential to crash…what goes up must come down.

I'm not afraid of death, I've experienced it enough in my lifetime, that will never scare me, but it's something I can't quite explain, I see a plane, I go near one, I even think about setting foot on one my heart starts racing, my mind feels like it's going to explode…I just can't do it.

"London?" I asked softly, I could feel my heart already picking up speed, sweat was dripping down my back.

Dr. Magnus looked at me concerned

"Tavish are you all right?"

I took a deep breath and nodded slowly

"Yeah, sorry,"

She clearly wasn't convinced but let it go for the moment

"My colleague, the head of the UK Sanctuary is anxious to meet you and he believes he may have some answers. We will take a private jet tomorrow if you're okay with that."

Not really I thought, but didn't say that aloud

"Yeah," I replied instead taking a deep breath, wondering, not for the first time in the past few days what the bloody hell I had gotten myself into this time.

x-x-x-x

                                                                                 

The London Sanctuary was a familiar looking building not far from the epicenter of the city, which surprised me given how isolated the Sanctuary in Old City was, in a rundown area of the city near the docks, in comparison this building was not as large, but looked less like a haunted mansion and more like a well-kept Victorian era estate. I kept this to myself as Dr. Magnus and I walked up the steps to the main doors, where we were promptly greeted by a gentleman about Dr. Magnus' age who looked as familiar as the building. Had I been here before or at least passed it at some point? Why did this bloke look familiar?

"James," Dr. Magnus exclaimed "Helen, good of you to come," he replied, as they both exchanged pleasantries with me standing awkwardly in the doorway, fully fighting my instinct to bolt and disappear into the city. "Ah this must be the young man I have heard so much about," James held out his hand and I shook it, "Dr. James Watson at your service,"

"Tavish," I replied

"Well, come on in Tavish, allow me to give you the grand tour."

x-x-x

"I want you to close your eyes, Tavish" Dr. Watson instructed. It went against all my instincts, to close my eyes, it put me in a vulnerable state, closing my eyes with people watching was dangerous, but I had to trust Dr. Magnus I had done so thus far and she had made it perfectly clear she won't hurt me and will protect me.

We had been at the London Sanctuary for a few hours, I had been given the tour and Dr. Watson had heard as much of my story as I could tell. But both he and Dr. Magnus wanted more answers and both were convinced I had either blocked my past from my memory or perhaps I was so old that my early childhood was a mystery even to me. Therefore, Dr. Watson asked for permission to put me under a type of hypnosis as he described it, granted I was hesitant, but I was just as curious as they were, if not more so. I wanted to know who my ancestors were, why I was able to heal so quickly and if I was truly as old as I had recently remembered or was I older? And most importantly was I actually this Sanguine thing that the CABAL seemed to believe I was.

Sighing, I did as instructed, I must've appeared tense because I felt a hand on my shoulder, instinct took over and I jumped

"It'll be all right Tavish," Dr. Magnus said softly into my ear "relax"

"K" I replied softly

"Tavish," Dr. Watson's voice joined. "I want you to listen carefully to my words and the sound of my voice. Are you comfortable?" He asked

Technically, I thought no not really, but I kept this to myself, this might give me the answers that'll explain my being.

"Tavish?" Dr. Magnus ask

"I'm good."

"Put yourself in the past, the first memory of childhood you have," I had to concentrate, pulling deep into my memories. "Do you have it?"

"Yes,"

"Tell me what you smell?"

"Fires burning, it smells cold I think I think it just snowed. Someone's making stew," I made a face "rabbit."

"What do you hear?"

"Chatter, the women are talking, some are nervous,"

"Why are they nervous?"

"The Warriors are gone, they went hunting with my grandfather the men left behind are old there are a few can still fight, but only a few."

"Finally, what do you see?"

"Nothing, its dark I'm hiding."

"Why are you hiding?"

"They are coming,"

"Your mother?"

"The Shinies." I replied, robotically, I could remember this so clearly, like it had happened yesterday, maybe Dr. Watson was right, maybe this would unlock my memories…all of them. If I was able to remember a word I used at three years old to describe… my heart stopped for a moment, the English.

Suddenly I remembered why this event stood out to me, why it was my first memory. My palms began to sweat and I felt my breath coming quicker.

"Tavish?" that was Dr. Magnus, she seemed so far away now "Tavish what is a Shiny?"

"They come to the village once the warriors leave, they take things and hurt people. They make my mother and the other women cry. They took my friend the last time. I miss him, he cried and screamed for his mother when they came for him."

"Where? Where do they take them?" Dr. Watson asked

"We never see people taken by the Shinys again…they never come home, they leave us little ones alone till we're bigger, but mam is afraid they'll change their mind and start taking all of us."

"Children," Dr. Magnus whispers "whoever or whatever these shiny's are they were kidnapping the children." I took a sharp breath, crying out a bit as I did "Tavish?"

"They're coming…I can hear their boots on the snow and the horses, thud… thud… crunch, the screaming just started, most of the older boys are with the men, but not the girls… mothers are trying to hide them like I'm hiding, it's no use, the shiny's are grabbing them, I can hear the girls screaming." I cover my ears, it's so loud it hurts, it truly feels like I am there, witnessing all of this again. "The shinies are tearing everything apart, they're looking for hidden children, but also food, weapons; my grandfather hid all of those really well and the rest he took with the warriors, the shiny's won't find them." I paused "I lift the straw up a bit, I want to see, I've never seen a shiny before, my mam always hides me before they can come and I'm a good hider. I see a flash of my reflection…it's a sword right in front of me…my hair it's burning, someone has me, they're pulling me out of the straw by my hair…Ma! MA! Shiny, Shiny, it's got me!" I'm screaming in both my memory and in real life, tears are rolling down my cheek.

"James, enough," I hear Dr. Magnus say… "please bring him back,"

But I can't come back, and at this point, I don't think I want to. I'm back in my memory, her voice is growing fainter and the past is becoming stronger, I'm terrified and crying, but curiosity has always been my Achilles heel, I wanted to see the Shiny, I want to know why this memory, of all my memories, why this one stands out the most. Through my eyes, I look into the face of the Shiny.

I expected a monster, terrible grotesque face like the clan has always said they have, but this was a man, he wasn't as scary as I thought he would be. The shiny part came from his helmet, I could see my reflection blurring back at me. Behind the slits, in his helmet, I saw a face like any man, but he seemed surprised, shocked even, not angry like I expected. I was still whimpering, I couldn't help it, he gave me a good shake

"Shut up!" he hissed, I yelped as my hair was pulled, I was surprised I still had any left at this point, "I said shut up!" he put me down but picked me up again, this time under my arms, staring into my face, studying me. "What is your name?" he asked slowly as if I might not understand him

"Ta…Tavish," I sniffed

"How old are you?" I didn't answer, I didn't understand his question, he sighed "how many winters?" I held up three fingers and he closed his eyes for a moment, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You're not scary," I conclude looking at the man's face under the helmet, I reach for the helmet and brushed the cold metal with my fingers, I tap the metal, I like the noise that comes from it, I can't help it, I giggle and tap it again.

"Tavish!" I hear my mother's voice call and I feel my heart skip a beat, the last thing I ever heard from my mother was calling me a changeling and demanding my death, so needless to say hearing her call my name made my blood run cold. "Please, don't hurt him…I'll do whatever you'd like, just let him go." The shiny looked from me to my mother, studying us both, he gently dropped me to the floor and pushed me towards my mother, I ran into her arms and she held me close. "please, let me put him back where he was and then you can…" my mother started to say. But she stopped as the shiny pulled off his helmet and took a small step towards us. My mother gasped, one hand covering her mouth. "My…" her voice trailed off as the words became lost from her surprise.

"what are the odds," the shiny commented "of all the places, all the villages, you're here." The shiny paused and rubbed his chin "is he?" he asked gesturing to me

"Yes, he is. Very much so."

My three-year-old mind might not have been able to process what was going on, but the me that had been alive however many hundred years knew exactly what this tense exchange meant. The shiny…the soldier standing in front of me…was my father. I don't know how I really knew or why I was able to come to this conclusion, I just know... I stared at him, trying to take in as much of his appearance as I could as the memory began to fade and cloud away. I don't make it a point to stare at myself in the mirror, but I've seen my reflection, my eyes, my facial expressions, I was seeing it all in this man, I was looking at an older version of myself, the adult I would have become.

I couldn't remember what happened after that, I know I didn't interact with my father and I know I never saw him again.

I blinked and looked around, trying to come to my senses and bearings. I saw Dr. Magnus and Dr. Watson looking at me expectantly

"Dr. Magnus?" I whispered I wasn't entirely sure how much the two doctors had heard or if I had been imagining the conversation.

"It is certainly a start," Dr. Magnus replied

"So…so if I really am this sanguine thing…does that mean my father was one as well?" I asked, "or was he only half as well and therefore I'm not as much of one as we thought?"

Dr. Magnus looked at Dr. Watson who took a deep breath

"You said the shiny was an English soldier?" he asked and I nodded

"Yes, my father I presume, I didn't piece it together back then, but seeing him again, in my memory, there's no question in my mind." I took a deep breath

"Perhaps we can ask one of the residents to sketch him, we have a very talented artist who has helped Scotland Yard several times. If you're able to recall any details, of course, I can have you sit with her." Dr. Watson said gently and I chuckled

"I appreciate that Dr. Watson, but I think I can do it myself if I have my sketch pad. I've never been very good at describing people."

Dr. Watson looked over at Dr. Magnus who nodded, smiling proudly, she had seen my sketchbook and could back me up. Da Vinci I was not, but I was definitely up for this task.

"As you wish, now back to the Shiny, what more can you tell us about them?"

"Yes, I had forgotten about it, but it was a regular occurrence for them to come into the village, they usually waited until the warriors were gone, they weren't looking for a fight only to cause trouble with the least amount of resistance," I explained

"And the children they took?" Dr. Magnus asked, I shrugged, that I never asked about or even thought about until today, now thinking about it, I realize how bloody lucky I was to not have been taken, then again, maybe I wouldn't have been nearly turned into a crispy critter. I took a deep breath if that shiny was my father I wondered for a brief moment what would have changed had I been taken by him and raised not as a human child, but as a half vampire.

"Conversion tactic I believe," Dr. Watson replied bringing me back to the conversation "take away the young and vulnerable and try to covert them." He paused "your village Tavish, do you remember the faith?"

I closed my eyes and thought as hard as I could

"A little, I know my grandfather's right hand always carried a cross into battle when I was maybe four or five, so I would say Christian, but I can also remember talk of other gods. I don't think we had fully accepted the Christian faith, but we did acknowledge it." I paused and looked at the two doctors hard "so am I…am I…" I couldn't say the word, I couldn't even fathom being one of these creatures that had apparently terrorized mankind to the point where they became public enemy number one and had to be exterminated. Even I turned out to only be half or even a quarter.

"I compared the genetic markers that you sent me Helen, with the markers of…ahem, our friend." Dr. Watson explained and I looked at Dr. Magnus quickly

"Friend?" I asked, "you have a friend who is a vampire?" Neither of the doctors would look me in the eye and that really made me suspicious "do you have a friend who is like me? I thought you said they were all wiped out, that there are no vampires anymore."

"That is true Tavish," Dr. Watson explained, "there are no full Sanguine Vampirists left in the world." He paused "those that survived the extermination were eventually captured over time and sterilized to prevent the continuation of the species. Several however escaped the initial sterilization. There are genetic descendants of those original beings, however, it is unclear how many in the world carry this genetic marker and it is so minuet now that it would take something nonexistent to potentially awaken these markers."

"Nonexistent?" I repeated, "but you said you have a friend who is like me, how is this possible?"

"Our friend was introduced to something that many believed to be a myth and it had dramatic effects on his genetic makeup, the dormant sanguine genes were awoken and he was able to embrace the being his ancestors once were."

"So if I share similar markers to your friend, does that mean my DNA simply had the vampire gene and I was exposed to it like your friend?"

"No Tavish, true our friend was unaware of his genetic makeup until he was exposed to the blood…along with others who had similar reactions. But when I say your genetic makeup is similar I am only implying that the sanguine markers are present in your DNA…your Sanguine markers are much more prominent than our friend, his genes were dormant until exposure, yours it would seem have never been dormant."

                                                                                                      

 

I looked at the two doctors one more time and I understood instantly what was going on, Dr. Magnus and her longevity and why Dr. Watson looked so familiar to me, I had met Dr. Watson…almost one hundred and fifteen years ago in London. There had been a rash of break-ins in an area of London that rarely had contact with the poor of the East End and many police strongly believed that the perpetrators were hiding out in the East End. I had managed to earn/pickpocket enough money to rent a space in a slumhouse I also was able to find work as a newspaper boy and for whatever reason I was able to sell my papers in the richer areas of London, which really helped boost my wages, I had even managed to clean myself up enough so I looked like a middle-class kid selling papers, I looked like I had business being in the West End of London.

One warm evening, I was walking back to the East End, fully aware of my surroundings and keeping an eye out for trouble, I didn't go looking for it, but somehow it always managed to find me. I heard the sound of footsteps running up ahead of me, but coming to my direction and when I looked closer it was a boy, not much older than me, running full speed with a large satchel on one arm and a large candlestick in the other, there wasn't enough time for me to dodge out of his way and he slammed right into me, his loot going every which way and me nearly losing the fish and chips I had managed to steal away from a drunk who had left it on his table as he snored away at the shop.

By the time the two of us collected our heads, we could both hear more footsteps pounding on the cobblestone, followed by whistles and I knew it was not going to end well for either of us. The boy scrambled to his feet first and tried to collect his loot, but was so nervous he kept dropping everything which of course echoed all over the place. I can remember yelling at him to get out of there because we both were going to be caught and I was not going to be thrown into jail over his stupidity when I hadn't even done anything for once. Granted I wasn't planning on sticking around long enough to get caught either, but in the confusion, I had dropped my tips for the day and I wasn't about to leave without them. The boy finally gathered up his belongings and took off and as much he deserved to be caught for being so stupid, I let him go, if he really was the bugger breaking in all over the West End, he'd be caught sooner or later. I finally found my tip money under my fish and chips and shoved it back into my pocket and saved what I could of my dinner, no sooner had I organized my own self when the whole lot of bobbies were on me.

I may have looked presentable enough to be in this area of London, but I clearly did not belong and the police began searching me and accusing me of breaking into a house just down the block. I remember arguing with them, showing them my tips and assuring them I was just a newspaper boy, hell I even pointed in the direction that the idiot had run and described him and what he took.

This however backfired…big time. Because I was able to describe what the kid took, the cops automatically assumed I was either in league with him or in their opinion didn't exist at t'all and I was the one they were looking for. They just couldn't get me to admit it or admit where I had stashed my loot. My dinner was left in the street and I was dragged to the nearest prison. Since it was late at night and I wasn't worth it, I wouldn't be seeing a judge until the morning, but it made no difference the cops were looking for a thief and had found a scapegoat.

Before I kipped down in the cell, (well pretended to) surrounded by London's 'classiest' drunks and thieves, a detective came to the prison. Apparently he had been on the case for several weeks and had given the bobbies a good idea of what to be on the lookout for, a boy, no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, decently dressed, but clearly of the East End, who did work or at least pretended to work in the West End. I fit that description perfectly and it certainly explained why I had been picked up.

However, the detective insisted on interviewing me alone and even though the rest of the officers were reluctant, the detective clearly had some pull and commanded quite a bit of respect, because they didn't argue with him.

The man that was standing before me, Dr. Magnus' friend was that detective, James Watson, I could have slapped my forehead. I looked at Dr. Watson carefully I highly doubted he remembered me, once he interviewed me and inquiries were made, I was released. I left London after that, went to America for about ten years or so, before returning to England, but not to London, I ended up back in Scotland for a time being, trying to allow more time to pass so I wouldn't be recognized in London.

If he was as old as Dr. Magnus and their friend had somehow been exposed to something that woke his vampire genes…So was that the answer to my longevity…literally my immortality? I had vampire blood in me so ergo I was immortal? But seriously that didn't make any sense either, how could I have stopped aging as young as I did, the vampire race if it was as powerful as Dr. Magnus explained then there had to be vampire adults, there's no way a race can survive ruled by kids, I may not have time to sit and read a whole lot, but rainy or snowy days a library is great for staying warm and dry. I've read Lord of the Flies, I know how stuff like kids ruling works. We may have our good points, but kids being in charge can get pretty nasty, well, then again so can adults, but I digress.

Maybe it was a combination of my blood…human blood counteracting with vampire blood that triggered the immortality. But that didn't make any sense either, I would've stopped aging at birth not ten, eleven, or twelve years old, however old I physically am.

I rubbed my temple and let out a groan, this was more confusing than before and it was only going to get worse, I could feel it.

"Look…" I started to say "if this is all true, I mean if I really am this thing then how come I can walk around in the daylight, I don't drink blood, I have a reflection, and even though they creep me out, I've never burst into flames walking into a church? How do you explain all of that?" I concluded, Dr. Magnus and Dr. Watson exchanged a look and Dr. Magnus smiled at me, gently.

"Tavish, a few of those are simply myths, exaggerated and encouraged originally by vampires themselves and then adapted by storytellers and of course film."

"Like Bram Stoker?" I asked and she nodded "he wasn't one was he?"

"No, but he took the more colorful myths and applied them to his story. Garlic has no effect on true Sanguines, nor does holy water or crosses."

"What about blood," I asked, "I'm pretty sure I've never drank blood." I took a deep breath, at least I don't think I ever have. My memory is such a scrambled mess I don't really know. Dr. Magnus seemed to be thinking along the same lines because she looked right at Dr. Watson

"James, he has a point, even our friend needed blood until we created that substitute for him."

"Just out of curiosity," I spoke up "how come you keep referring to him as 'your friend' is it some big secret?"

"In a way Tavish, yes, we haven't heard from our friend in about sixty years, when he went into hiding,"

I did the math in my head quickly

"So right after the Second World War?" I asked, my blood went cold for a second "you guys weren't friends with-" I started to ask and both doctors shook their heads quickly "just checking."

"Tavish does the name Nikola Tesla sound familiar to you at all?"

I nodded

"He's the guy who was competing with Edison, something about alternating currents. Whoa, he was a vampire?"

"Is a vampire, his death was faked so that he could continue to live out his life and his research." Dr. Magnus explained, "but for now that needs to remain between us."

I looked at Dr. Magnus and did my best to not roll my eyes, seriously who was I going to tell?

"You said, Helen, that Tavish was drugged?" Dr. Watson spoke and both Dr. Magnus and I nodded "and clearly his memories are returning but at a slow rate." Dr. Watson paused and looked right at me "Tavish, what was the last memory you had before waking up in the laboratory?"

"It was more of a dream than a memory, but I think it was real I think I was remembering, I was with some friends of mine who looked out for me in Old City, it was the night the CABAL got me…" I paused "problem is I know for a fact I haven't seen those friends in months."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because it was warm enough for me to sleep outside…it was the summertime, beginning at least" As if on instinct both of the doctors looked at the calendar, which clearly read October.

"It is possible that whatever concoction they gave you severely damaged your memory, but because of your healing abilities, the damage is not permanent. The dreams you are having is your body's way of fighting the drug that is most likely still in your system."

"So it might just take a while, but eventually I'll remember everything."

"It is possible. It also explains why some pieces of your memory survived the process, while were affected."

I felt my stomach drop

"So it is possible that I've been drinking blood, I just don't remember it?"

"That remains to be seen Tavish," Dr. Watson explained "while you may share some genetic characteristics with Tesla, you and he are very different. You were born half vampirist, he only had genetic markers in the beginning. It is possible that because of your genetic makeup you do not need blood to survive."

"What about other things? Dr. Magnus, you said that vampires were the rulers of mankind, how?" I asked

"certain abilities they were gifted with as abnormal. Incredible speed, strength, healing abilities, senses, and intelligence."

I scoffed

"Well, that rules out the last one."

"Why?"

"Trust me, I'm not that smart. Remember when I said that 1607 was the first date I could actually remember?" Dr. Magnus nodded "that was because it was the first time I really was able to put numbers together and form a date. I had only recently learned to read and was still working on writing. It took me a long time to learn any kind of skills of that nature. If I am as old as we think I was illiterate for a good chunk of my early life. I may be related to these superbeings, but trust me I'm not one of them. My healing factor is the only thing I've got going for me."

"I wouldn't say that," Dr. Magnus spoke up "when Ashley found you, you were running from the CABAL, you were on foot, they were on motorbikes."

I looked at Dr. Magnus

"So I can run, that still doesn't mean I have the other abilities."

"Tavish you have also survived this long on your own, that requires some degree of intelligence."

"She is right young man," Dr. Watson added "survival skills are one thing, but to survive as long as you have on your own. You may not believe it, but that requires some level of high intelligence."

"And Henry told me about your interaction with his systems, very few are able to keep pace with Henry in regards to computers."

"Still...it can all be explained by experience, not genetics."

"We shall find out tomorrow," Dr. Watson replied and I looked at him "I intend to run a series of tests." I groaned, not more bloodwork, Dr. Magnus seemed to translate my groans

"No Tavish, not blood tests,"

I sighed, this could be even worse, I did not have the abilities they thought I did…heck if I was super smart or super strong, hell even super-fast I should not have been easy to catch by the CABAL goon squad, what kind of super being could I really be, if my ancestors were the rulers of humanity, I'm definitely not worthy of their genes.

x-x-x

                                                                                          

 

 

Meanwhile in Old City

Ashley pulled her bike to a skidding stop on the old bridge, Squid was standing at the edge, looking over the city, his usual spot. He turned when he heard her motorcycle.

"Keep calling for information Ash and people are going to start talking."

"Let them talk, it's cheap."

"Right,"

"Anyways whatcha got for me?" Ashley replied holding up the usual payment, Squid face twisted into a hungry stare

"Heard rumors about your new addition."

"What do you know about him?"

"That the CABAL is none too happy that he escaped, but they don't suspect he went to the sanctuary, in fact, they're pretty sure he's somewhere up north."

Ashley took a deep breath, remembering Trev talking about a cabin, rebuilding his cabin up north, his own Sanctuary, safe from other people. If the CABAL knew about that part of Trev's life, then what else did they know about him?

"Do you know why they want him so bad?"

"Are you kidding Ash? The kid is a vampire, a species that's supposed to be extinct walking around in the twenty-first century."

"That's what they think he is?" Ashley asked

"You're telling me your mother doesn't suspect the same thing?"

"She's not sure, we think he may be half."

Squid practically choked on his mealworms

"That's even worse,"

"For who?"

"All of you, look the CABAL is always up to something, but this kid is valuable and the CABAL isn't going to just let him go. Like I said they don't realize the Sanctuary has him, but when they do you and your mother better be prepared for a helluva fight."

"Why is he so valuable, I mean sure he's one of a kind pretty much?"

"There's more to it Ashley. Humans aren't the only ones who passed down legends about the Sanguines, including a legend about halflings."

"Okay, so what's the legend?"

Squid sighed

"The full blooded Sanguines were known for taking human's as mates, they didn't do it often, but the result was half breeds like your young friend, it ensured the survival of the species even if many refused to acknowledge that it was happening, the tainting of the pure vampire line and all. But because of the mixing of blood, most of the halfbreeds didn't survive the pregnancy and if they did it was even rarer for them to survive infancy."

"But some must have, or they wouldn't have legends about them," Ashley pointed out, only half joking

"Yeah, some did survive to adolescent, supposedly they were gifted with all the speed, intelligence, and even healing ability of their Sanguine parent, but were not immortal."

"Okay, so what would be the point? I mean if their goal was to keep the species going were they turning these kids at some point?"

"In a manner of speaking yes," Squid explained "at a certain age usually twelve or thirteen the halfbreeds would partake in a ritual where they were supposedly turned into full Sanguine. The process wasn't immediate so it would take some time for the ritual to take effect, usually a few years, the child would slowly stop aging which was always the sign, by the time they were in their early twenties it was complete."

"What kind of ritual are we talking about?"

Squid laughed a little

"Well, what's one common theme most vampire stories have about turning someone into the undead?"

Ashley's eyes went wide understanding exactly where Squid was going with his story.

"Damn," she muttered.

x-x-x


	9. Chapter 9

Dr. Magnus and Dr. Watson let me wander the mansion for a bit, with the full knowledge that Dr. Watson's tests would begin in the morning. Though I wasn't entirely sure what those tests would entail, I was determined to avoid finding out as long as possible.

For some reason, I really couldn't understand it, the London Sanctuary did not terrify me quite as much, it had similar creatures walking around, it was slightly smaller than Dr. Magnus' house, but no less imposing and it was similar in age so it had a natural eeriness to it. But I liked it, it felt comfortable, Old City's Sanctuary felt welcoming because of Dr. Magnus and her team, the London Sanctuary just felt welcoming because of the building.

My room for the evening was two doors down from Dr. Magnus, but I had no desire to sleep and instead continued to wander and explore. I had reached the main floor and stood in front of the massive door that led back out onto the streets of London. I admit a piece of me, desperately wanted to and was strongly considering bolting out that door, disappearing into the streets of London. I moved closer to the door, my hand reaching out for the handle.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a voice came from behind me and I hate to admit this…but I jumped out of my skin. I had been so focused on my thoughts, calculating how fast I could run and where I could make it to before my absence was discovered, I had ignored one of my most useful traits, my senses. I never heard, nor smelled, nor sensed anyone approaching me and I whipped around to see who had spoken.

It was a girl, a few years or so older than my apparent age and I wasn't sure what was more astonishing, her accusatory look or the fact her hair was the deepest purple I had ever seen, I had seen purple hair similar to that once and it was on a little old lady at a church bingo night. Churches are not necessarily great places for homeless kids to crash, but spaghetti suppers are great ways to get a free meal and this particular church that was offering said meal also had a bingo afternoon going.

"What's it to you?" I replied sharply

"It's no skin off my nose if you leave, but I know you won't get far," the girl shot back, almost smugly

"Well, we'll see about that," I argued, heck I've seen this city grow, if anyone knows it's layout and how to get far away in hurry its me. I reached for the handle again, but felt the girl watching me, intently. I turned around and she had her arms crossed over her chest, waiting for me to make a move.

"I don't have all night you know,"

"I beg your pardon?" I asked

"Oh don't beg Vampy, it's very undignified." The girl replied "All I'm saying is if you're going to leave, you better do it soon, I'm getting bored."

I was thoroughly confused as to what this girl's problem was, and to make things even more confusing she had called me Vampy. Apparently word had spread that Dr. Magnus had brought a suspected vampire to the London Sanctuary.

"First of all, I am not a Vampire, so your insult of Vampy is really pointless, which leads me to the next point if you're so bored, why don't you just leave me alone, what's it to you if I leave or stay."

"Again I don't care one way or the other, but I know Dr. Magnus and Dr. Watson will care and if you leave that means I'll have to track you down and I really don't want to do that, I just finished dying my hair and I really do not want to get it wet."

I glared at the girl for a moment

"I seriously doubt anyone, least of all you could track me down as you say,"

The girl grinned wide

"I love to bet, would you like to wager then? Money is always good, but that's probably impossible for you am I right?" she added with a sneer. "money is a little tight I take it, unless Dr. Magnus is giving you pocket money."

"Who the bloody hell are you?" I asked, "though I suppose in this place the better question is what are you?"

The girl didn't seem phased by that question at all, instead, she walked past me, over to the door and pulled the heavy wooden door open. She smiled politely, but I didn't trust that smile for a moment as she gestured out into the street.

"Go ahead Vampy, make a run for it,"

"Do not call me Vampy," I growled, I couldn't help it, she was really starting to irritate me with the Vampy comments, but I'm sure the growl did not help my case. "I am not a vampire," I didn't care what Dr. Magnus and Dr. Watson had discovered or what anyone believed, I was not going to admit that I was truly a vampire. "And I'm not going to make a run for it."

The girl sighed as if she was disappointed by my last statement

"Too bad, I was really hoping for some practice." She slammed the door shut and glared at me again. "or at the very least to get rid of the smell of death in here."

"What is your problem!?" I asked sharply "I mean did I offend you somehow by not running out the door?"

"Typical Sanguine, think's it is all about you. I've read about your kind, I've studied you, you're a carbon copy of your ancestors."

"For the last time, I am-"

"Oh you are, I know it, Dr. Magnus knows it, Dr. Watson knows, this entire Sanctuary knows it. You're just in denial."

The girl walked up to me and for a moment I felt cold rush over my entire body, it started at my feet oddly enough and traveled up my legs, up my spine and into my head. Not only did the cold feel like I had stuck my head in a freezer, but there was something else…someone was inside my mind, studying it, reading it…bloody hell the girl was in my mind, somehow.

I've never encountered real mind readers, psychics, anything of the sort, at least not to my immediate memories. I've met a few charlatans, fortune tellers, gypsies pretending to be well versed in the arts of telling the future and mind reading, don't get me wrong I'm not saying they're bad people, nothing could be further from the truth, I lived with a group of Romani for a few months in the early 1800s and though they closed off, they can be some of most caring, welcoming people you could ever meet, especially to fellow outsiders and those who clearly do not have a place in regular society.

What I was sensing at this moment, was not a hoax and was not my imagination, the girl whatever she was, was actually inside my mind, digging through it like a box and examining pieces of my memories like they were a book.

I don't think she actually meant to hurt me, despite her attitude towards me, she was all talk, but for whatever reason, it required a lot of focus on her part to reach into my mind and with that focus meant she was literally forcing her way into my mind. My subconscious knew it was being invaded and it switched into defensive mode, fighting her 'invasion'.

The problem was the more I fought her, the more insistent she became and the more painful it was for me. I have never felt such agony and this is coming from a guy who has experienced death on many creative levels. I couldn't help it, I let out a scream of pain and fell to my knees, clutching my head. Immediately the invasion stopped and the girl backed off, I think she was just as stunned as I was.

"Tavish!" I faintly heard Dr. Magnus' voice coming towards me, but it was muffled. There was a ringing in my ears like I had never experienced before and for the first time…at least that I could remember I was thirsty, strangely thirsty, but I knew instantly that it wasn't for normal human beverages.

"Helen, be careful, something isn't right," that was Dr. Watson, he was coming too, I could feel others entering the foyer, we had an audience now, my scream must have attracted attention. "Helen, his eyes are black, careful now."

"Dr. Watson I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to. I…" the girl stuttered

"Emma it is alright," Dr. Watson promised her, I felt his hand on my shoulder and I jumped in pain, every part of my body hurt and I couldn't explain why. I felt Dr. Magnus brush my bangs back and even that hurt, hair doesn't hurt, but even this tiny bit of movement on my scalp sent me into gasps of pain. "How deep did you go?" Dr. Watson asked and I could only assume he was talking to the girl…Emma, he had called her Emma.

"His mind was shielded I couldn't get through, I must have pushed too hard. I am so sorry. I was trying to help…I overheard you talking to Dr. Magnus, saying his mind was closed off, and I thought, I thought I could get in."

"Tavish, can you hear me?" Dr. Magnus asked, "you are safe darling, but I need you to speak to me."

"I…I…" I tried to get past that one letter, but I couldn't, the thirst I was feeling was overpowering…I felt my stomach drop as a flash went through my mind, I had felt this thirst before, it wasn't new, this wasn't the first time. I can't explain it, I don't know what the girl had done, but suddenly a wave of memories flooded my mind, things I had forgotten or had thought I had forgotten because of the CABAL came crashing down on me and I felt like I was drowning in the memories…the memories and the pain.

I tried to stand up, trying to escape the memories as they overwhelmed my mind, but my knees buckled and I crashed back to the floor, Dr. Magnus' voice calling my name was the last thing I heard.

x-x-x-x

I cannae send him away, he's my son, why would you even suggest that?! I knew that voice, but it was the tone I did not recognize, the concern, that had faded from my mother's voice long before she tried to have me killed, but there was something vaguely familiar about this scene.

"You must, it has to be this way. The clan is beginning to grow suspicious, Tavish can no longer fit in like he once did. If we do not do this, he will be killed and in a way that there will be no returning from the dead for him. I knew that voice too, that was my grandfather, well the man I had grown up calling grandfather

"He is only a child, he cannae survive on his own,"

"Yes he can, do you think I have been training him to survive for fun or just something to pass the time, woman? His skills will allow him to survive and his ability will ensure that he can disappear. He is no longer safe here. This way will allow him the chance to survive and allow you the same. Surely you have heard the whispers, the clan believes you spawned an evil being. Some type of otherworld creature. If you were to take Tavish and leave our borders they will hunt you both down, they will spread tales of you both, neither one of you will ever be safe. This way you will appear innocent and Tavish will have the chance to flee and save himself. I am sorry that it has come to this, but as the chieftain, I must protect the clan; Tavish and you are part of that clan, I am doing this to protect both of you." I was stunned at what I was hearing, more importantly, I wasn't sure how or why I was hearing this, amnesia aside, I know I did not have any psychic powers so hearing this conversation should not be part of my memory, how could I, I wasn't in the room…was I?

"He will never forgive me," my mother sobbed "I am sacrificing my child, how will he understand that what you want me to do was to save him." I took a deep breath and tried to focus on the scene, I remembered what Dr. Watson had said as he basically hypnotized me and tried to focus on this scene, this moment, even though I still wasn't sure how I could know what was being said when I wasn't even in…my vision which had been dark, slowly gave way to light and a fire, table, the scene was familiar to me, but I couldn't believe I was seeing it. This was my house, my mother and grandfather sat close to a small fire burning in the ring, huddled and trying to keep their voices low.

I looked around and immediately saw why they were trying to be indiscreet, off to the corner, sound asleep, with my back to them, I could see me. I had been in the room when my mother and grandfather were plotting this insanity, my subconscious must have heard it, stored it in my memories.

Why was I seeing this?

That girl Emma, had she unlocked some deeply stored memory and now for whatever reason, my mind decided to share it with me. Was it my mind's attempt make me forgive my mother for what I knew was coming?

"You are sacrificing your time with him, that is all you are sacrificing, you are saving his life. He will be killed and I will be powerless to stop it, this way we control the situation, we can control his death and get him to safety. Yes, there is a chance that he will spend the rest of his life wondering why we did this to him, but he will spend the rest of his life as long as he decides to spend it. But you must play the part, you must prepare yourself to withstand his cries, his screams, his begging for you to save him. The clan must see him die or they will never let him escape, nor will they allow you to live out your days. I have already spread a rumor that I plan to go hunting in two days' time, alone. That is when the clan will be more apt to act. When the time is right I will ride in, disguised, I will end his pain and whisk him away to where he will be safe."

My mother stood up and walked over to the sleeping me, she brushed my hair back and kissed the top of my head and I winced, feeling the hatred and pain I had long held for her begin to drain. This scene if it was true and my mother was in on my grandfather's scheme, I had done exactly what she had feared, I had never forgiven her I had spent all this time hating her for a betrayal she never committed.

"Do you truly believe he is an evil spirit?" My mother asked

"No, of course not, but I do know Tavish is not of the same being like you or I. He may have your blood, but the blood of his father and his father's people has become stronger, it has overtaken his human blood, it is why he can do those things that the clan fears. This is his best chance to survive, grow, live…"

"Two days?"

"Two days…" My grandfather repeated. I knew what was coming, I couldn't go through that again, I couldn't relive it, especially not now, knowing that my mother's part in the entire thing had been all for show, that she had done that to protect me.

I closed my eyes, focusing desperately on the 21st century; silently begging, pleading to be returned to it.

x-x-x

A crashing noise forced my eyes open and I looked around hurriedly, I was in the guest room at the London Sanctuary, I recognized it instantly and felt my racing heart slow a bit. At least I had that going for me. As I looked towards the door I spotted Emma, standing there, looking ashamed and gazing down at her feet. I followed her look and saw a tray and a cup laying on the floor at her feet. She looked up at me quickly, not with shame at dropping the tray or concern that she had woken me up, but annoyance that she had been caught.

With everything I have been through in my lifetime I've gotten pretty good at reading people, she was annoyed she had been caught attempting to do something nice for me, but if I looked a little closer, I could also see concern, she was worried about me, even if it was just a little bit.

"Well, that's a heck of a wakeup call," I muttered, pulling myself up against the headboard, before swinging my legs over the mattress.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Emma replied and the minute my feet touched the floor I understood her warning. I felt lightheaded and my legs couldn't handle my weight, they began to buckle as I tried to stand and I had to sit back down on the bed.

"What the bloody hell did you do to me?!" I growled

"Oh don't get your knickers in a twist, it'll calm down in a little bit, your mind just needs to heal itself and stop thinking for a bit," she smiled "which given your DNA shouldn't be too difficult."

Lightheaded or not I was done with this girl and her attitude towards me, it was bad enough she kept insulting me for no reason that I could glean, but she had clearly knocked me unconscious when she invaded my mind like some kind of alien probe. I took hold of the bedpost and used them to pull myself up. I was still weak, but determination, frustration, and certainly anger, kept me standing.

"Look ET," I grumbled, "I don't know what your problem is, I don't know how I exactly offended you, and to be perfectly honest I frankly don't give a damn, I want to speak to Dr. Magnus now!"

Emma's eyes softened for a second, she appeared confused

"ET?" She asked and it was the first time I actually heard sincerity in her voice "what's an ET?"

I stared at her, granted I was old, heck I knew it, but not too old that the term ET should be unheard of or even lead to confusion. Was this girl sheltered here at the sanctuary or something?

"ET, extraterrestrial, like in the movie, only not as much fun," I explained and she still looked confused "not of this earth, alien," I added and her expression changed to one of not only understanding but almost…hurt. "Seriously, after everything you have done to me, you're offended by me calling you an alien?" I asked, "you probed my brain and knocked me unconscious, I'm pretty sure I'm warranted to one insult, at least." Emma opened her mouth to answer, but again it was as if she was ashamed of what she had done to me, I looked at her closely, or more specifically, what she had seen in my head. "You read my mind did you?" I finally said, all joking aside.

"It wasn't easy, you had something blocking most of your memories. I really didn't mean to dig so deep, but I thought if I pushed just a little harder I might get through that block."

"Did you?" I asked

"Did I what?"

"Get through the block?"

Emma shrugged,

"yes and no, I made it through pretty far, but whatever is blocking your memories is strong, not to mention there is a lot to get through." She paused as if she really didn't want to be having this conversation "are you really that old?"

Now it was my turn to shrug

"Your guess is as good as mine, you saw my mind, you probably know better than I do, for whatever reason you were able to access what I can't and brought back some memories I must have blocked out on my own," I added, thinking of my dream and my mother's words. "What are you? In all seriousness, what are you?"

"You're Scottish yes?" I nodded "are you familiar with Tuatha Dé Danann?"

I had heard of the word, Gaelic, whether it is Irish or Scottish typically isn't spoken outside of their respective country, but the words are very similar. The problem is, once you leave the border, it just becomes a novelty and a neat parlor trick, instead of a way of life. So needless to say I'm lucky if I can remember a few words of Gaelic, it's funny, I'm pretty fluent in a lot of languages, it was a way to survive by blending in, but the language I once spoke fluently as a child, the language I spoke my first words with, is pretty much faded from my vocabulary.

But hearing Emma speak the words, triggered something in my memory because I had enough of an understanding that I recognized the words, even if I didn't know what they meant.

"It sounds familiar," I admitted

"It's an ancient race, descended right from the Goddess Danu herself, kings, queens, warriors, they were also blessed by the Goddess, making them not quite human, those were my ancestors."

"So that mind reading thing you did?"

"It is a gift that was passed down through my family and it's not exactly mind reading." Emma explained, "I can't read your mind right now,"

"So less Professor X?" Emma looked at me confused again, it was the same look she had given me when I called her ET. "Seriously do you live in a bubble here?" I asked

"Who is Professor X?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest, clearly wondering if she should be offended or not.

"He's a character, from a comic book, the X-Men?" when she still looked confused "Marvel? Wow, you really don't get out much do you?" I asked

"I get out," Emma defended "I just have no idea what you are talking about right this moment,"

"He's a telepath," I explained "in the comics, but he can just read anyone's mind without really trying. That's why I was saying less Professor X,"

"Oh, well yeah I guess so,"

"So how does it work?" I asked I was pretty curious about this mind reading thing, but I had another reason. Emma had tapped into my memory and pulled out something from my childhood, something I had clearly overheard in my sleep. If she could pull that kind of memory out from so long ago, then maybe she could fill in the gaps with the CABAL, I know I was missing several months from my memory and even with so much of my memory returning on its own, whatever they had done to me, those memories were not coming back easily.

"Why?"

"Can you focus on a certain memory and dig deeper into that?"

"I suppose," Emma replied, "it's dangerous though, not for me, but for the person I'm excavating inside their head."

I shuddered a bit, remember how painful it had been when she was rooting around in my mind and I had a feeling she had only scratched the surface to my locked memories.

"I'm not worried," I lied and Emma gave me a look, clearly not believing me "Vampires don't feel pain," I added only half joking.

"I thought you said you weren't a vampire?"

"Who knows," I admitted "I sure don't, all I know is that two weeks ago, at least I thought it was two weeks ago I was perfectly happy living on the streets. Then I find out that not only was I missing a few months of my memories, but those few months were spent as part of some crazed organization's experiments like I was some kind of lab rat. I have no idea how long I was with them or what the hell they did to me. I never once believed that vampires were real, or half the stuff I have encountered in the Sanctuaries, nor did I ever believe, even for one second that I was a vampire, half or otherwise."

"Is that why you want me to go deeper into your mind?" Emma asked, her voice was sympathetic now "why would you want that?"

"I want to know how long I was there, I want to know what they did to me and why they did it." I paused looking at the door, "Dr. Magnus has done a lot for me since her daughter found me and brought me to the Sanctuary. But I know I'm putting a lot of people in danger over this whole thing, if I can figure out what they did, maybe I can figure out a way to not only protect Dr. Magnus and her Sanctuary but keep one step ahead of the goons that kidnapped me in the first place."

My body was shaking, the pain I had felt when Emma had invaded my mind the first time was fresh in my mind, but I had this opportunity and I couldn't let it get away. This might be my only chance.

"I promised Dr. Magnus and Dr. Watson I wouldn't without them, they want to make sure you're safe, you passed out the last time…" Emma paused "it nearly killed you,"

"Wouldn't be the first time," I replied "literally been there done that,"

"And it took you four days to recover from it," Emma explained and I looked at her dumbfounded "you've been unconscious for four days Tavish."

"Four days, are you serious?"

"Quite serious,"

I couldn't help it, I let myself sink back down to the bed in shock Four days, I had been asleep for four days that was impossible, but at the same time…my stomach let out a loud growl and I winced maybe not so impossible.

"Four days," I repeated, I pulled myself back up and took a deep breath, trying to keep my balance, though it wasn't easy. I thought this over, my body usually heals pretty damn quick, so the fact that I was still feeling the effects of Emma's mind probe was pretty terrifying.

I remember during the American war for Independence I was shot right in the heart with a musket ball and was set to be buried with about half of my fellow militia, luckily (and I never thought I would use that word when speaking of the English) the British launched a secondary attack and the remainder of the militia scattered for the hills, which delayed the body retrievals.

I was always pretty careful about my death and where I might end up after I died or whatever it is my body does while it's healing. But I got extremely cocky during that particular battle and fancied myself invincible. Again I'm not entirely sure if what I experience can be constituted as dying, but whatever it was when I awoke, I was in a wagon with the corpses of my fellow militiamen and we were on our way to a gravesite that had been dug for us.

This was not only a frightening experience for me but certainly for the hired undertaker who was just doing his job. I was literally moments away from being buried…had I revived hours later, I would have been in the ground with little means of escape, not a promising prospect.

Of course, I chalked my survival to simply passing out from the fear of being shot at and being as young looking as I am this was understandable. I was the youngest in my regiment by a good amount and even though several of the more seasoned militiamen were hesitant to let a "child" into the ranks, I had more than proven myself at several key battles, even though many would have preferred me as a drummer or carrying the colors. I did make it back to what was left of my unit and fought with the Continental Army for a few more battles.

But the main point is healing for me never takes longer than a few hours at most, four days is unheard of and that certainly terrified me, it had only taken me hours to heal from a musket ball to the heart, how could Emma's mind probing parlor trick affect my body and my mind so significantly that four days after, I was still feeling the effects.

Before I could ask Emma any more questions or even debate further over her trying again to read my mind… Dr. Magnus rushed in.

I felt my body relax a little. I never expected to feel relaxed around anyone, but Dr. Magnus was quickly becoming someone I could trust, someone for whatever reason, my instincts knew she had my best interests at heart and wanted to care for me. This was, however, something I had trained myself to not need, so it was still difficult for me to accept her outreach, but in this case I was grateful for it. I needed familiarity and in this situation, Dr. Magnus was as close to familiarity as I was going to get.

"Tavish," Dr. Magnus called out, coming over to me. "Darling you really shouldn't be on your feet just yet,"

"I did try to tell him that, he wouldn't listen," Emma pointed out and I glared at her

"Darling she is correct on that, I know it may not seem like it, but your body and your mind need time to heal, just a bit longer. What you went through was fairly traumatic."

"Emma said I've been out for four days, is that true?" I asked and Dr. Magnus nodded

"Yes,"

"Was it like before, no pulse, no sign of life?" I asked this question was key, I had to know if I was simply unconscious, or if I had…well, died.

"No, I checked on you several times over the course of the four days, you had a slow, but steady pulse, it was almost as if you had slipped into a coma, that is really the only way to describe it."

I couldn't help the relief that escaped me, that was good to know. I looked at Emma expectantly

"Oh no," she replied "not happening,"

"You heard Dr. Magnus, you didn't kill me,"

"Not this time," Emma countered

"So you dig a little deeper and I have a nice long nap, it'll be worth it."

"Would one of you please explain to me what is going on?" Dr. Magnus interjected looking at the pair of us.

"Your vampire here has a death wish," Emma replied

"I do not," I argued, looking at Dr. Magnus "while I was asleep I had what I thought was a dream, but it was really a memory, she was able to pull out a memory I had blocked from my mind over six hundred years ago, if she was able to do that then maybe she can dig just a little deeper and I can finally retrieve the memories that I lost for however long the CABAL had me."

"Tavish, I understand your reasoning and it is very rational, but we need to be thoughtful how we go about this," Dr. Magnus explained, "this is a dangerous endeavor."

I looked at her, my legs felt stronger and I was able to stand without feeling wobbly, further proof that I would heal from whatever Emma did to me.

"They stole my memories," I growled "an entire chunk of time gone thanks to whatever they did to me. I want to know what memories they took and I want to know what they did to me."

Dr. Magnus sighed and looked at Emma who shrugged

"All right," she finally said "but it will have to wait," I opened my mouth to argue with Dr. Magnus, but she held up a hand, stopping me "a few more days will not change anything, I want you to have another day to recover and then James and I have some more tests we need to perform."

"What's the point of more tests," I asked glaring at Emma "Professor X over there already knows the truth, she's all but proven it."

"Emma?" Dr. Magnus asked and Emma looked down at her feet, ignoring Dr. Magnus' question, "proven what?" there was a moment or two of silence, the kind of silence that can be just as painful as the loudest noise blasting in your ears. "Tavish?"

"You can run your tests, Dr. Magnus," I said softly, the words sent sharp pains in my head as I thought them and I knew they would be bitter to speak… "but it'll all prove the same thing, even if I'm just half, I know it now…there is no other explanation or reasoning behind it…I really am a vampire."


	10. Chapter 10

After my acceptance of what I am (well at least in words acceptance) Dr. Magnus insisted I try to get some more rest. I was in all honesty too jittery to do so, but I pretended for her sake, crawling back into bed and closing my eyes. My body must have still been healing because I did actually drift back to sleep even though I really didn't want to. I'm not entirely sure how long I was out for, it could've been a few hours or even just a few minutes. All I know is I was jarred awake by someone calling my name. Not just someone, Emma.

"Tavish, Tavish wake up dummy," she hissed

I rubbed my eyes and looked at the bedside clock, but my eyes couldn't focus on the red digital numbers glaring back at me.

"Wha.." I managed to mumble

"Wake up," Emma commanded again

"I'm awake," I grumbled, "thank you very much, what do you want?"

"Are you hungry?"

That question threw me for a loop for a second and my first instinct was to growl at her, throw something, and go back to sleep. However, my stomach betrayed me and let out a growl of epic proportions. I wasn't entirely sure what time it was, heck I didn't even know what day it was, so I had no idea when I had last eaten.

"Maybe," I replied

"Come on, I'll show you the kitchen,"

I was more than a little suspicious of Emma's sudden change in attitude towards me, but I swallowed my suspicion. Food overruled suspicion at this point, okay in my case it usually did.

I followed her into the corridor but kept expecting any moment to be attacked, verbally, physically, or mentally as the case may be. For some reason, none of that happened.

"So, um," I started to say, trying to figure out how to word my question safely without infuriating her. I mean how do you ask someone why they're being nice to you all of a sudden, especially when that someone can melt your brain from inside your skull. Instead, I went the safer route "stupid question, but what time is it?" I glanced out the window as we walked down the hall towards the main staircase, it was definitely dark out.

"Almost two in the morning," Emma answered, "Dr. Magnus and Dr. Watson wanted to let you sleep a little longer, but it's been two days, I thought you might be hungry," Emma explained and I nearly stopped short.

"Two days?!" I exclaimed louder than I meant to and Emma reached over with the flashlight and smacked me on the shoulder

"Shut up, do you want us to get caught, we're not exactly supposed to be wandering around the house willy nilly."

I looked at her, rubbing my shoulder, but I was finding it difficult to not laugh

"Willy Nilly?" I asked, keeping my voice just barely above a whisper

"Don't make me smack you again, only this time it won't be your shoulder." She answered

"Sorry," I paused "so I've been out for two days and four before that, bloody hell," I muttered "you really did a number on me didn't you?"

Emma looked ashamed, she actually dipped her head

"I'm sorry about that," she replied "I honestly didn't mean to-"

"I'm just giving you a hard time, I actually owe you a bit of gratitude," she looked at me suspiciously "no I'm serious, the Cabal or whatever they want to call themselves really did a number on my memory and it comes back in pieces or it comes back scrambled so I'm having a hard time telling what I'm actually remembering and what is ideas they may have implanted or suggested while they were experimenting on me."

"Is that why you're so eager to let me probe your mind again?" she asked and I nodded

"I've got a lot of memories to catch up on and it would seem you're my only hope." I paused and decided against continuing the Star Wars reference, for one thing I did not want to identify myself as Leia and Emma as Obi Wan and another I had already struck out with the E.T. reference and the X-Men reference, the chances of her getting the Star Wars reference was pretty much null. I also didn't understand how she could be from this century and be about my physical age and be so sheltered.

"How long did they keep you?" Emma asked and I shrugged

"Your guess is as good as mine," I replied "at least a couple months. It was summertime when they nabbed me maybe late spring." She looked at me quickly as we entered the kitchen and she gestured to the calendar, October. "Yep I know."

"And you don't remember anything that they did to you?"

"Bits and pieces, I guess." I shuddered "clicking of heels on a floor, I don't think I'll ever get that sound out of my head." I looked around the kitchen "so what's good in here?" I asked and Emma gave me a half grin

"Do you always dodge questions with stupid questions?"

"No," I admitted "not always, sometimes I dodge questions with stupid answers," Emma rolled her eyes and opened several cabinets.

"You do eat food, right?"

I gave Emma a look, at the same time trying to determine if she was kidding or actually serious.

"Yeah don't worry I hit the blood bank an hour ago," I finally replied. I'm good with fighting stupid questions with sarcastic answers. Emma's face turned green, quickly I gave her a weak smile, trying to show that I was only kidding. "I mean I'm not picky when it comes to food."

Emma pulled out a loaf of bread and went into the fridge, pulling out cold cuts and other assorted condiments. She carefully laid all of these on the counter and gestured for me to help myself.

"Are you eating?" I asked, as I made up a sandwich with the cold cuts and spread some mayonnaise on it.

"No, I ate earlier," she explained making herself comfortable at the table. Once my sandwich was to my liking, I placed my plate on the table and before looking into the fridge.

"Dumb question, but no soda?"

"Soda?"

"Tonic, fizzy drinks, you know, pop?"

"Oh," Emma replied "no, no pop," she explained "Mrs. Geary who does the shopping won't buy it." She grinned "but if you don't mind it warm," she joined me at the fridge, but moved to a cabinet nearby, pulling out a can of coke. "Sometimes I do my own shopping."

I grinned and we returned to the table so I could eat. We sat in silence for a moment or two as I polished off my first sandwich and made a second, followed quickly by a third. Emma stared at me in amazement, but to my surprise never commented on my clear pig-out. I was half way through my astonishing fourth sandwich when I paused mid bite to look at Emma.

"So, how did you end up here?" I asked "I mean you explained what you can do, but did you come here willingly or…" my voice kind trailed off and I finished off the last of my sandwich, leaving the question open ended. Emma didn't reply for a moment or two and I worried I may have offended her or something "Sorry," I finally managed to say

"No it's fine, it's no big secret. My parents felt it would be safer for me here. Our kind has been uprooted so many times we're finding it difficult to locate a safe place to call home."

"Oh," I replied, unsure what else I could say

"But don't think I'm a prisoner here, I love being at the Sanctuary and Dr. Watson has been super supportive of my interests. He even used his contacts at Scotland Yard to get me an internship."

"Doing what?" I asked even though I had a feeling I knew the answer, Dr. Watson had mentioned that there was a girl who was a very talented artist living at the Sanctuary.

"Sketch artist."

"That's pretty cool," I grinned, thinking about all the times I had tried selling my artwork on the streets to make some extra cash, only no one wants to buy artwork from a street urchin

"Dr. Magnus said you're an artist too?" Emma added and I was a little taken aback by that question. First off I didn't think Emma would pay attention to anything Dr. Magnus said about me that was in the positive light and two how had that discussion even come up? I shrugged my answer, buying myself a quick extra couple of seconds.

"I suppose, I'm not very good, I'd never be able to work for the police as a sketch artist." For several different reasons I thought, none of them pertaining to my art abilities.

"Do you sketch?" I nodded "would…can…can I see your work?" Emma asked softly and I was taken aback by that question too. Either I was losing my touch at not being surprised by things or Emma was just that good at asking questions.

I shrugged again

"I suppose," I muttered "I'm not that good and it's not like I have loads of time to sit and sketch." I paused "at least I didn't."

I helped Emma clean up my mess and after making sure no evidence of my late night snack was present. We silently walked back up to the guest room. We passed Dr. Magnus' room and I could see a soft glow from under the doorway of a fireplace, I couldn't tell if she was still up or not, but I remembered her mentioning that she rarely slept. When we reached my room, Emma gave me a comforting smile, the first I had really experienced from her.

"Will you stay with Dr. Magnus?" she asked and I shrugged

"I haven't exactly decided." I admitted, keeping to myself the main reason, I didn't want to put Dr. Magnus or Ashley, or anyone else in danger, be that from the Cabal or me personally. It couldn't be safe having a vampire around for an extended stay. "Anyways," I changed the subject pulling my sketchbook out of my backpack. I have lost a lot of my belongings over the decades and regrettably several sketchbooks among them. I have managed to preserve a few, several ranging from several years ago to a century or more. Those are safely stored in believe it or not a lock box, it's buried in the woods not far into the Canadian wilderness. I haven't checked on it in about ten years, but the land is protected and nothing can be built or developed (at least to the knowledge of the Canadian government). Anyways, inside contains knickknacks I've accumulated, documents, identifications I've collected throughout the last three hundred years, and several of my most prized sketches. Every time I go back to check the box and add more belongings to it I'm always afraid that it'll be gone or worse opened. I've been lucky, but I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't move it to the Sanctuary with me for at least the time being.

I handed the sketchbook and some of the loose-leaf sketches to Emma and lowered myself to the floor, letting her have the only chair in the guest room. She sat down without a word, carefully flipping through the drawings. I couldn't really tell if she was just being polite by her awed expression or if she really did think the sketches were worth admiring.

"Tavish, you really drew these?"

"Yeah, like I said, when I had time to do so, when I wasn't running from all manner of authorities or other street kids. Or mad scientists."

"These are amazing, I mean I can sketch people, but landscapes, I wish I had your talent." I felt my ears go a little bit red at her words. She was being sincere and she was mesmerized by the sketches, until she reached one that made her go pale. I was concerned by her reaction, I couldn't remember drawing anything that would've scared anyone so I inched closer to look over her shoulder. I didn't recognize the room, but it was clearly my sketch, a large room, with a tank filled to the brim with water, large and deep enough to submerge a human being. Doctors milling about. Emma went to the next sketch, it was the same room but from a different view point, it was from inside the tank and a woman's face clearly visible peering in, a smug almost evil smile on her face.

"What the bloody hell?" I muttered I had no memory of a room like that in either form…but the woman, oh I recognized her right away, in my mind I could hear the clicking of her heels on the tile, the patronizing tone of her voice, the pain of her perfectly manicured nails running down my chest and face. Dana Whitcomb, the CABAL lady.

"Tavish?" Emma called "is that her?"

I looked up at Emma, surprised by her question, that really needed to stop happening

"Is that who?"

"The woman, is that the woman from the CABAL?" I had forgotten that Emma had seen my memories, in her attempts to 'help' Dr. Magnus and Dr. Watson she must have seen bits and pieces of my time held by the CABAL and in that time she certainly would have seen Dana Whitcomb.

I nodded

"Yeah that's her, but I don't recognize this room." I looked closer at the sketch, it wasn't dated which was odd since I tend to date all my drawings to keep track of them and keep track of my own time. I took the sketch out of Emma's hand, and sat down on the bed, trying to work this all out. I was more interested in the one looking out from the tank, a perspective I didn't remember ever having, but clearly must have.

"Tavish?" Emma said softly, she came over and sat next to me on the bed. "You don't remember this at all?"

I shook my head, my hands started to shake as I dug deep into my memories for this room, this tank, this scene, but nothing was coming. Finally I looked over at Emma and she gave me a return look.

"Oh no, not happening, not right now."

"We've already proven you're not going to kill me. Please Emma I need to know, I truly feel like this will be the key, this will unlock everything if we can just tap into it." I pleaded with her. "maybe the reason I passed out the last time was because I was fighting you."

Emma looked at me suspiciously

"Explain?" she said

"I had no idea how or why you were rooting around inside my head and I fought you. But maybe if I just accept your probe and let things kind of go with the flow, it'll be easier for the both of us."

I knew Emma was starting to consider this, it made sense, at least I thought it made sense. She sighed and rubbed her forehead like I was giving her a migraine.

"I am not happy about this, but your reasoning sounds logical." She finally said "but we do this my way understood? And if I feel any resistance or I think we should stop I'm stopping and there will be no complaints from you. Got it?"

I grinned and nodded

"Whatever you say. Probe away!" I added

"I still say you're bloody bonkers, but alright." Emma sighed "I need you to relax as much as possible, where would you be most comfortable?" A cabin in the middle of nowhere no humans in sight would normally be my answer, but I was pretty sure that wasn't the answer Emma was looking for.

"The floor," I finally decided "if that's okay,"

Emma nodded

"Works for me, I'll sit on the bed." We both took our places and I took a deep breath "just relax okay, deep calming breaths, I'll try to be as careful as possible." Emma paused "last time are you sure you want to do this?"

I nodded

"It's the only way."

Emma didn't reply, but I could feel her behind me moving around and I closed my eyes, trying to relax my body as much as possible. It seemed to sense Emma was coming because I could feel my heart picking up speed. I focused on my breathing, calming my heart down and as I did this, I began to feel lightheaded. I could feel Emma's presence in my mind, but unlike before I didn't feel threatened and I didn't try to stop her, I just let the lightheadedness wash over me. I drifted back…back to a place I had either tried to forget or had been forced to forget...

x-x-x

I knew something wasn't right. The fog I had been consumed by had lifted and I was growing increasingly more aware of my surrounding. The wheels squeaked and jilted me so I knew I was on the move (unwillingly of course). I was also sitting not laying down so I assumed I was in a wheel chair not the usual gurney I had been strapped to in the past. The past…that word echoed through my head, I couldn't remember the past events here or what else I had been subjected to and yet my mind acted like I could remember everything and this though new, was not anything truly different.

This was certainly true as I realized that the only thing that hadn't changed was the blind fold and restraints. My wrist were cuffed to the arm rest, my ankles to what I assume was the metal sides of the chair. This meant I couldn't remove the blindfold. The drugs that had been pumping through my system had kept me in a fog but it only meant I had no control over my body or my actions, my mind was there so I could see and see everyone that was happening to me but restraints aside couldn't do anything about it.

I felt like we had been moving further than usual, this told me two things. I wasn't going to the electroshock room which was a relief but that meant unknown and unknown was never a good thing when you're being treated like a lab rat. Wait…electroshock room, what electroshock room? I didn't like this, things feeling and places being familiar when I had no recollection of them.

This thought made my heart begin to race. Which in turn made me breathe heavier until I was practically panting. I don't know if I sensed there was something about to happen that I was not prepared for. Little bits of my memory were beginning to return, slowly, the deeper Emma pushed into my memories, the more I was beginning to not only understand what I had gone through, but was beginning to remember it too.

I heard doors slide open and we moved into a different area. They say when you lose one sense your other senses go into overdrive to make up the difference. I couldn't see because of the blindfold but a scene quickly appeared in my mind. I could smell water chlorine filled water. My mind scrambled to fill in a reasonable explanation, the only one they really made sense was I was going for a swim in a pool. Why would they do that?

I quickly had my answer. The blindfold was removed and I looked around to get my bearings. There wasn't a pool but I had been right about the water it was a large glass tank. Several doctors milled around on top of the platform some with clipboards others were checking computers monitors while others were doing similar checks around the tank. Video cameras were set up pointed at the tank and I saw a flash alerting me to another camera looking into the tank from above.

I understood instantly what was in store for me.

"No!" I shouted "just let me go! Just let me go!"  
The doctors around me just laughed and before I could continue my shouts a noise literally stopped my heart for a second. The clicks of heels on the cement floor. That sound had made my blood run cold every time. Even though my mind was fuzzy and my memories were jumbled, the click of those heels, the name Dana Whitcomb and absolute pure fear were now synonymous.

"Tavish Tavish Tavish whenever are you going to stop with the childish temper tantrums. You will not get your way and we make the decisions for you so just accept it."

I shot her a poisonous glare.

"What's the tank for?" I growled. I can't swim at least not very well.

"None of your concern, but don't fret we won't let you drown little one," Dana added reaching out to pat my head and I ducked back from her touch as quickly as possible. Instead of being mad she just laughed and turned to one of the doctors "are we ready?"

"Yes, Ms. Whitcomb,"

"Excellent proceeds with first the test."

My arms and legs were released from the restraints and a doctor helped me out of the wheelchair. I growled at him and struggled to get loose, but he held me tight and with my body weakened by whatever drugs they had pumped into me I could only half fight even though every part of my mind was screaming at me to do whatever I could to break free. The hospital gown I wore was stripped off leaving me with only a pair of shorts on, at least they had the decency to let me be partially dressed. I expected to be restrained again but instead, the doctor led me to the top of the stairs near the tank. The doctor holding my arm twisted it and before I knew what was happening a needle was jabbed into my arm, connected to an IV. In addition, two electrodes were placed on my temples and two more to my bare chest, free of wires.

My body began to shake a little in anticipation, usually, these electrodes meant electric shocks, but I had a sinking feeling these would not be shocking me, but rather sending out information to the computer monitors all over the place. Once this was done and I was, well hooked up, another doctor placed a face mask on me that covered my eyes and my nose, I instantly started to panic. The other doctor held firm but I thrashed about trying to get my hands free to rip off the mask. I felt like I was suffocating and it was difficult to remember to breathe through my mouth instead of my nose.

"Just breathe as you normally would," the doctor who put the mask on me whispered in the first kind and reassuring voice I had heard as of yet. "The more you panic the worse this will be. Just breathe in and out through your mouth. This will not hurt I promise,"

I wanted to snap back that a promise from any of these people wasn't worth crap but I didn't get a chance as a mouth piece was shoved in my mouth. Instantly cool sweet air began entering my mouth and down into my lungs and instinctively I began breathing through it. While I was focused on my breathing the doctor holding my arms guided me to a platform just above the tank. He gave me a reassuring grin and made sure I was holding on to the bar. Once he was clear, the platform began to lower me down into the depths of the tank.

My heart was racing so fast I thought it might explode out of my chest. I completely forgot what the doctor had recommended and felt panic set in.

Because I can't swim, at least not very well drowning has always been one of my greatest fears and one of the least preferred ways to die. Sounds funny right, preferring one way to die over another, but when you've experienced so much death and been faced with it so many times, you begin to prefer one way over another. For example, I'd rather be shot right through the heart than hung, it's quick, clean, and instantaneous. I mean bam you die. It may take my body a little longer to heal from a gun shot than being hung or suffocated, but at least in most cases I do not have to contemplate when I will eventually die as opposed to the moment of death coming, but not specific in it's arrival.

Drowning to me is similar to hanging, death is inevitable but you have to suffer first and contemplate if you will truly wake up this time around or if it will finally be your time to never come back.

"He's beginning to panic, his heart rate just shot up to 120."

"Give it a moment once he's submerged, he'll calm down." I've never had a problem with my hearing, but because of the water and the tank their voices were muffled a little, but I understood heart rate and submerged perfectly.

"Are you sure?"

"We gave him a little sedative, should be kicking in shortly."

"Won't that affect the test?" the concerned doctor asked I looked towards them on the platform opposite the tank. Dana Whitcomb was nearby watching, her arms crossed and a knowing smile plastered on her face.

"Nope, it was a minor sedative, meant to calm only. Once we begin the test his instincts will take over. Won't be surprised if his heart rate doubles or even triples. We've never had one this close before."

The platform gave a shudder as it reached the bottom of the tank. I looked around trying to get my bearings and determine a way out, it was a solid tank, there was no escaping except the way I came down and I had a feeling I wouldn't be let out that easy.

"Doctor, you may begin," Dana's chilling voice called and I gave a shudder.

"Yes, ma'am."

I looked around quickly trying to figure out what was about to happen, what could they possibly do to me in a tank of water? Then I looked down at my arm where they had jabbed a needle into the crook of my elbow. I could see a red colored liquid snaking it's way from the top of the tank, through the IV towards me. I didn't know what was in that IV and I wasn't about to find out.

Quickly I ripped the needle out of my arm, much to the shock of the doctors and Dana Whitcomb, they must have assumed I was compliant enough that I wouldn't fight back, idiots.

"Get him back up here! What were you thinking why wasn't he restrained!" She began shouting and I could feel the platform under my feet begin to rise.

If they wanted to run some tests on me, they'd have to wait. I took a few deep breaths and stepped off the platform.

Dana stared at me, glaring with daggers while the doctors prepared to enter the tank to retrieve me. I ripped off the mask covering my face and blinked a few times as my eyes adjusted to the chlorine water. They stung and it was blurry, but I wanted her to look into my eyes.

Giving her a grin and flipping her off, I yanked the regulator out of my mouth. I held my breath and stood on the floor of the tank, crossing my arms smugly, as she watched, glaring at me the entire time.

The tank was designed to be deep, so it was going to take the doctors or security or whoever a few minutes to get to me and by then I would be dead, at least for a little while. As I said, I hate drowning, it's one of my least favorite ways to die, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

I could feel my lungs beginning to burn and my head felt foggy, I was getting lightheaded, soon I'd be forced to take a breath of air that wouldn't be there. I felt splashing above me and frowned, worried that they were coming in after me, but when I looked up, one of the doctors was leaning over the platform reaching for me. If he leaned in any further he'd reach my hair. To counter that, I plunked myself down, sitting cross-legged at the bottom of the tank, completely out of reach, but still watching Dana. This was it, my last few seconds of air, my lungs were completely on fire now. I gave her one last look and allowed the water to fill my lungs. The last thing I saw before the darkness over took me, was her poisonous glares, penetrating deep into my eyes.

x-x-x

"That was foolish and pointless Tavish," Dana's chilling voice filled my ears as I felt life returning to my body. I took a deep breath, allowing the stale, but somewhat refreshing air to fill my lungs. I felt the restraints on my wrists and ankles and slowly opened my eyes. To my horror I wasn't in a wheel chair or on a gurney or even back in the cell they called a room. I was back on the platform over the tank. She was right, about one thing, my drowning had been pointless. What did I really hope to accomplish besides some short-lived satisfactory 'you need to do better than that' ploy? Dana grabbed my hair and yanked it back so I was looking right at her, her face inches from mine. "All you managed to accomplish with that stunt was a test we were planning on running anyways. We are going to test every possible method of killing you to see how long it takes for you to revive. If you're a good boy maybe we won't remove your head from your body to see how long you or even if you can come back from that!" she hissed

"Go…to…hell," I spat back, my eyes watering a little as she pulled my hair back even more and tears were unavoidable.

"Oh now Tavish, your kind is already there, it's only a matter of time before you join them."

This time there was no messing around from the doctors. My hands were cuffed behind my back and instead of the needle in my arm, it was stabbed into my neck. My heart started to race again as I felt the impending dread wash over me. There was no escaping this one. The electrodes were placed back on my temples and my chest. Instead of the facemask that covered only my eyes and nose, a new mask which covered my entire face was put on me. My feet were shackled with a short chain and a second chain was hooked to a soft collar that had been placed around my neck.

Instead of being gentle or reassuring, this time the doctors prodded me onto the platform with a zap from a what appeared to be a cattle prod. I knew I was going to face retribution for my decisions, but this seemed extreme, not that I was surprised.

Growling through the mask I did as I was asked and stepped onto the platform. I was not expecting the handcuffs to be connected to attached to the shackles around my ankle, but the moment I stepped onto the platform that was exactly what happened. My entire body began to shake, but I refused to let the fear show on my face, I would not give them the satisfaction. The platform began to lower into the water and I was shocked at the cold. It had been lukewarm before, but now it felt like an ice bath…it felt like I had fallen into the North Atlantic in April in the wee hours of the morning, something I had experienced first-hand.

The moment the platform reached the bottom I nearly fell forward, my balance was off and I was unable to hold myself up with my arms and legs constrained. The only thing that held me up was the soft collar locked around my neck, it pulled me up allowing me to get my balance.

"Step off the platform now." A voice in my ear commanded and I realized that a microphone was in the mask. I growled my response, hoping that it was a two-way "this is your last warning, step off the platform or you will be forced off it." When I refused a second time, I felt an electric shock shoot from my neck up and down my body, the bloody collar was electrified! I was so shocked (literally and figuratively) that I fell off the platform, the chain holding me up steadied me as I struggled to get my footing. The collar choked me a little but guided me until I was able to stand on my own. The second I was off the platform it was raised. Denying me my way to escape. I looked around as quickly as I could, assessing my situation, which needless to say wasn't great.

This was especially evident when I felt a sharp pain in the back of my neck. I whipped my head around looking for the source of the sting and winced as I realized the IV they had stuck me with had delivered whatever concoction they were trying to dose me with the first time. The sting from the needle was nothing however compared to the pain that immediately followed as it coursed throughout my body. My body twisted and withered in agony as I tried to escape the pain. The worse the pain grew, however, the stranger I felt, I was pulling at the shackles trying to release my hands to pull the needle out and to my surprise I could feel the handcuffs starting to give. I focused on the pain and used it to my advantage I used it to fuel the strength and within a few seconds, I felt the snap as the metal chinks broke apart, freeing my hands. The doctors all around the tank watching looked horrified, which was satisfying enough, but the one person I wanted to fear me, just stood there. A knowing smile on her face.

I felt a rage burning deep inside me and it was demanding…demanding I kill her, spill her blood, destroy her and everyone in this room. This wasn't me…I kill only to protect myself and it's only in extreme situations, it was unthinkable to me to want to slaughter everyone in my path. I'm not a murderer, I'd never sink to their level of cruelty…I never wanted to become…her. But this was exactly what I wanted to do, the rage was powerful it was a desire to kill that I had never felt before. I raised a fist and began slamming it against the glass of the tank if I could snap metal as easy as I had just done, breaking the glass enclosing the case shouldn't be as difficult.

A few good slams and sure enough the glass began to crack. I looked directly at Dana, the smug smile still on her face. I slammed the glass again, I knew it was only going to take a few more.

"Okay, that's enough," Dana finally said her voice like a buzz in my ear. "Put him down for now I think we've seen what Test One yielded."

I didn't understand what that meant and I didn't care, I was going to get out of this tank and break her neck.

I never got the chance, the collar that was still secured tightly around my neck suddenly sent a shock wave through my body and before I knew what was happening, I blacked out.

-x-x-x

I blinked and looked around quickly. Emma was staring at me, not with fear or disgust, but with understanding. She slowly took her hands off my head and gave me a weak smile.

"I. I'm sorry, she said "I could feel your heart speeding up and I was afraid-" her voice trailed off

"No, it's okay," I replied "I promised I would let you make the decision when to end it." I paused and looked at my sketch. The scene was identical to the memory Emma had managed to pull from the depths of my closed mind and that definitely frightened me a little.

"Tavish," Emma said softly, pulling the drawing from my hand "you said you usually date your art right?" I nodded and she took a deep breath "I think I know why you didn't date thi one." She slid off the bed and went over to my backpack. Normally I would've reacted to such an intrusion, but the recaptured memories and what had been done to me were still floating fresh in my mind at a high rate of speed.

I kept waiting for them to fade, but it was as if Emma had just located my memories and given me a glimpse of them, she had given them back to me. Emma carefully flipped through my sketchbook, past the dated sketches until she reached the last dozen or so pages. I hadn't picked up a pencil since…well come to think of it I didn't know when.

Emma found what she was looking for and sat down next to me on the floor. She showed me the first sketch. It was clearly my style but like with the tank I didn't recognize the sketch or where it might be, at least not at first. I had no recollection of drawing it, but it was the same room I had escaped from. I recognized the bed, the chair, and the toilet.

Because I used a regular pencil, the sketch didn't illustrate the proper gloom of the room, but a stain I had clearly included with purpose caught my attention. Despite the lack of color, I knew instantly what it was, blood. Again I had no memory of anything in that room or what had happened to me there, but for some reason, I knew that was blood. I felt sick to my stomach, it was as if Emma's initial probs into my mind had opened the gates and slowly, but with force, my memories were coming back to me. I couldn't remember details, though I strongly suspected those would be returning later.

I could see flashes…I was strapped down to the chair, cuffed tighter than I had been when I escaped, the two doctors, the one who had tried to be reassuring to me with the tank and the one who was all to happy to use a cattle prod to get me into said tank. Dana Whitcomb was there too, that smug smile permanently stuck on her face.

Another doctor entered the room, she has something in her hands, it's an IV bag, but instead of clear fluid in it, it has blood. My body reacts, it knows what is about to happen before my mind does and begins to instinctively thrash about trying to break the bonds like I had the cuffs in the tank, but either I'm too weak or too sedated to do any damage. The other two doctors set up the blood bag above my head and a large tube is attached. I can't believe they're about to do what I think they're about to do.

I clench my mouth shut and refuse to open, even when they pinch my nose hoping to catch me off guard. I can see Dana's patience wearing thin, she reaches over to the table beside the chair that is filled with medical equipment and selects a scalpel. Before I know what is happening or can even prepare for it, she stabs the scalpel into my leg. I can't help it I gasp in pain and when I do the tube is shoved into my mouth. I try to spit it out but the doctors tape my mouth so the tube has nowhere to go. I can't help the tears that are welling up in my eyes, I haven't cried in years, but the frustration of my situation and the fear was too much for my twelve-year-old mind to handle. I can see the blood snaking its way down the tube towards me and every instinct in my body begins screaming, trying to escape, trying to fight back, trying to do anything.

There's nothing I can do, the blood splashes into my mouth and I try to gag, but of course, I can't. There's something familiar about the taste and even though I'm disgusted by what is happening, I can't help but feel like I've tasted blood before. As the blood drips down my throat I can feel the same overwhelming sense of strength and heightened awareness I felt in the tank returning.

Before I could act on it or free myself however, the blackness took over. Emma stared at me, she hadn't been touching my head or doing her probing thing, I had recovered the memory on my own…no not entirely on my own, the sketch, the sketch had made me remember it.

I looked at Emma, unable to keep the confusion and even disgust from the memory off my face. I could still taste the metallic flavor of the blood.

"Where did you go just now?" Emma asked, her voice soft and concerned

"Here," I explained pointing to the sketch "I remembered here and where the stain on the floor came from"

"You recovered a memory?"

I nodded

"Yeah, I think so."

"Tavish, what I was saying before you spaced out," Emma said, her voice low "I think you may have sketched these in your sleep. You may not be aware of it, but subconsciously your body and mind remembers and you're drawing them."

"Sleep drawing?" I repeated

"It happens," Emma replied "people do all sorts of crazy things when they're asleep, my cousin once got ready for school at three in the morning, clothes, homework, everything, she was just making herself some breakfast when her mum came in and stopped her. Who is to say you aren't sleep drawing?"

I stared at the sketches, and flipped through the dozen or so sketches, none of them were dated all seemed eerily familiar.


End file.
